Every oracle who chooses the cure wounds option will fill this role to some degree, but this particular listing is for characters who truly choose to pursue this. Broken tools apply a -2 penalty, which overrides the masterwork bonus. Youre now officially a battle oracle. Dazed is a very powerful debuff, and for the significant price of +3 spell levels you can attempt to daze every victim of your spell. This is a real drawback for some real benefits, but the benefits are sweet as sugar. Powerful, but with significant limitations. You want just enough to expand your options, but not so many as to fail to get your moneys worth. Telekinesis is already on your spell list here, so that lessens the beauty of Haunted (but reverse gravity is still awesome!). Lingering Spell (***): This is how you turn a blaster into a controller. If youre interested in an exotic weapon that isnt bladed you can exchange Swordtrained for a number of proficiencies equal to 3 plus your intelligence modifier. The bonuses are really only good for a Warrior type, but with an effective -4 strength I really cant recommend it. Generally speaking, a revelation is as powerful if not more powerful than a feat. Its shapeable, which is awesome. The bonuses are enhancement, meaning they wont stack with the strength or dexterity belt that you already have. The warrior favors a strong strength score as well as a decent charisma score. Being able to pop a cure spell mid-combat without wasting your turn is a good addition to your arsenal. For a 34% shot at a one word honest response? Its also the prerequisite for Eldritch Heritage. This is on top of your Mysterys spells, and you can change it by changing your spirit. Feats allow an additional attack of opportunity per round (ala Combat Reflexes, but with a low dex), boost your knowledge skills by +2, ignore difficult terrain if its natural, or link with a specific terrain and gain a bunch of bonuses while within it. True Seeing is useful, but its on your spell list and infinitely more powerful when you dont have to justify it with a bunch of qualifiers. Sacred Council (**): Requiring a move action means you cant use this as a reactionary ability for the rolls that might need it most (like saving throws). The use of this skill falls into four broad categories: using spellbooks, identifying magic items, counterspelling, and crafting magic items. Your bonus is that you slowly become immune to cold, which is actually pretty lame. This is a really specific criteria to meet before you can get the benefits of this ability. need to get your charisma stat to about 15 or 16 for any oracle- almost everything you do is based on this. Undead Servitude (***): Who loves their undead minions? This is a really poorly written mystery. Shigenjo oracles may find less use of this with the Ki ability to boost their curse level by 5 temporarily. This is a poor use of resources no matter how you look at it. So, for sake of brevity (too late, I know), this entire section will use +X spell level and it will mean to use a spell slot X levels higher than the level of the spell., A +1 boost to the spell level is a good way to ensure that your spell is going to hit. If youve got a way to make your enemies provoke, this can be a good option. This armor paces level-appropriate plate if enchanted with Magic Vestment, but weighs nothing and is a great choice for the lower strength of most caster types. This simply isnt a good choice. Cleaving Finish (*): Yep, this is the old 3.5 cleave. Clobbering Strike (*): This is neat, but there arent many cleric spells that require an attack roll to succeed. Minor creation is awesome even with its limitations if youre the clever sort. As far as identifying a humanoid in combat its even less useful because they all tend to have the same weaknesses: vulnerable to weapons and magic. Having to roll twice against your spell is a good way to help ensure that itll stick, particularly against multiple targets. Only Greater Scrying at 15th level has a casting time of 1 standard action. Controller:This character uses her spells, combat maneuvers, and/or skills to shape the flow of combat around her. Regularly youd only get it for 1 or 2 rounds, but this is likely to last the entire combat. Feats allow easy access to claws, pounce for claws only, and better charges/cleaves. Generally your DC is going to be 20, so taking this beyond +10-15 is of limited use. This is all depending on your DM though, so its worthwhile to have a conversation first. You can also dive in to rescue your allies without provoking attacks of opportunity, or teleport yourself out of a grapple. Spell Deflection (Su): You can use a readied action to counterspell any spell being cast on you or an adjacent ally that requires a ranged touch attack (such as a ray). Id recommend taking a few common prerequisite feats early on, like Power Attack or Combat Expertise. Tactics and Techniques: Ways to be successful III. This will let you get more mileage out of lower level spells. This would be a blue ability if it werent stuck with just one casting per day until 10th level. Time Flicker (***): Flat rate concealment is a good way to avoid being hit, and also allows you to stealth predator style. Its not worth worrying about. Theyre also sporting good resistances, natural armor, and decent sight. In addition, youll gain bonuses to hit during any round you move which is at least once every combat session, because you have to. Maximize Spell (*): Compared to Empower Spell, this is roughly the same when used on spells with a d6 for damage, and worse when used on spells with a d4. Spell Resistance (* or **): If youve got spellcaster friends, dont bother. Gnome magic is wonderful for Heavens oracle, Pyromaniac is excellent for the Flame oracle, Fell Magic is great for the Bones oracle, and Magical Linguist is decent for the rest of them. Delay Affliction (*): Diseases and poisons arent common enough to warrant this ability, particularly because it only works on the oracle and doesnt even negate the affliction. The lame self healing effect becomes very relevant when paired with Life Link, boosting this to a blue ability. Eternal Hope is particularly awesome (reroll a natural 1 once per day?) Swordtrained seems great at first, but it essentially boils down to your favorite bladed weapon and a bunch of proficiencies you wont use. There are a lot of tricky things you could do with this, but the limitations of once per day and outdoors under the night sky really hamper it. The spells added really flesh out a list thats light on blast spells, but Flame Oracles need not apply. These bird-folk are mostly useful for making some of the non-Warrior mysteries hospitable to the concept. Once you get Transmute Metal to Wood youve got a whole. The melee range is a disadvantage, but Warrior types wont mind too much. I was so utterly bored out of my mind that I kept looking for opportunities to have the character killed. Once per day, yuck. You dont particularly get a lot of movement with this ability, but popping past the front line to the soft and nougaty casters is a trick that will never get old. Weapons are really important to you as well. Charm animal is straight up awful, and awaken will very likely never be used due to its expensive material component. Shroud of Retribution (*): Anything that requires you to get hit is a bad thing, especially if it doesnt even negate the hit. Bull Rush isnt the best combat maneuver, but it can be very useful for setting up flanks or shoving enemies off of high places. is a good choice in place of Swamp Strider and proficiency with a net. This is a poor use of resources no matter how you look at it. Surprising Charge (***): Its only a few times per day, but its quite versatile. Good stats as well as the benefits of being an outsider. Extend Spell (****): Double duration for +1 spell level is really worth it. Fight the man! This one really depends on how much you rely on your movement speed. This armor paces level-appropriate plate if enchanted with Magic Vestment, but weighs nothing and is a great choice for the lower strength of most caster types. Traveller SRD Air Barrier (***): Early on its equivalent to a chain shirt, so dont bother. A bonus to strength equates to roughly 3 to 5 bonus points for a caster and 5 for a warrior. Being force damage is useful, but not overly so. Similar to the Ancestor oracles revelation, but ultimately less useful for the Metal oracle who has access to Skill at Arms. In an urban campaign, or one featuring a lot of social situations this combination is blue. Youve probably got a crap intelligence score and a great charisma score, so this is a solid choice for the Textbook types. This ability pairs well with life link. Definitely worth having if you can find room in your build. Its difficult not to love this ability. But what a glorious battle it will be. For some unknown reason theyve got a racial favored class option (the best one, actually) but I still cant push them past red. Humans get a better deal there with Focused Study, but you get better vision. Note: This mystery is examined from the perspective of a non-aquatic campaign. On the flip side, Necromancers with lots of undead allies are now free to apply all sorts of powerful buffs to their minions. Its versatile to be sure, but perhaps not useful enough. Yes, please. Psychic Talent: Youre forced to take one of these talents at 3rd level, and then after that youve got the option to take them in place of your other revelations. As a utility power it requires two turns to use, making it not worth it in combat- especially because they immediately know it was you. This might be a decent pick at very high levels to spend those 1st level spell slots, especially if youve taken the spell Imbue With Spell Ability. For instance, if you took both the clouded vision and deaf curses. This means that, on the whole, most oracles are going to be working with 4-6 skill points at each level. The oracles medium base attack bonus and dual stat requirement leave your CMB lagging well behind your enemies and its more often than not a wasted effort. Many DMs disagree about the power of specific races and thus all of these should be considered based on DM approval alone. The wording clearly states that you conjure armor made of ectoplasm which should technically qualify as a target for Magic Vestment, though your DM may disagree. Granted Cantrip read aura. Ifrit (****):Good stats as well as the benefits of being an outsider. But not really for you. You start off with a Hex (using Charisma) that you can choose from your spirits list and can change every day. Enhanced Cures (**): If youre anything like me you might have seen this as a super cool ability upon first glance. Having a few rerolls with a hefty bonus on top to keep playing your character is very nice. Most oracles will spend their career in a swanky breastplate, but those that choose to enter the fray will likely upgrade to platemail. Diseases and poisons arent common enough to warrant this ability, particularly because it only works on the oracle and doesnt even negate the affliction. The most important thing to take away from this guide is that this is just a series of opinions. Skills (****): Perception is great, and Knowledge (local) is worth a few points as well. This equates to two bonus skill focus feats at no actual cost to you. It also isnt clear if the effect expires when you move further than 60 feet away from the target light. Early on its duration is far too short to consider as anything other than a backup, but after level 7 it starts to become a decent choice. For a player this is awful, but for an enemy caster theyre still going to succeed 80% of the time if you dont have some form of reroll mechanic to apply to them. A bonus to charisma is roughly 5 points for all oracles. You can choose to gain the benefits of a maximum of four Godclaw deities obediences if you choose to forgo all three of your gods boons. Chock full of buffs, control spells, and ways to make your weapon usage even better. If this is the sort of thing thats useful more than a few times in the length of a campaign you should really reassess your tactical decisions. You can use it to heal plant creatures and eventually sicken and stagger enemies, but again, only on a failed fortitude save. Itll negate most of the annoying aspects of higher level monsters and eventually starts providing powerful bonuses. its that this is a situation that shouldnt come up often enough to warrant spending a revelation on it. A feat can allow you to break up your Elemental Assault into a round-by-round basis, thus making it extra damage when you want it and not once per day. The list is really heavy on divination and generally weak. Planar Oracle: Enabler, Socialite, Textbook. Diminished Spellcasting (*): Losing the cure or inflict spells isnt awful, though it sucks. But healing in combat isnt something youre likely to be doing very often, making this less useful. Wayang (**):Despite being small creatures, Wayang dont have a penalty to strength. These bird-folk are mostly useful for making some of the non-Warrior mysteries hospitable to the concept. A Nature oracle could invest heavily in this and push her defenses further than most other oracles are capable. 10 point buy: -not feasible for this concept-, 15 point buy: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 15, 20 point buy: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16, 25 point buy: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16, 10 point buy: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 15, 15 point buy: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16, 20 point buy: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 17, 25 point buy: Str 14, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 17. The enabler can function successfully even with a poor charisma score, and makes a good option for characters with lower point buys. Once you get Transmute Metal to Wood youve got a whole new set of things that are suddenly really chatty. This ability is going to let you accomplish that in a reasonable way. Elementalist Oracle [PPC: People of the Sands]: Warrior, Textbook. Seeker: gains 3 bonus feats and Trickery bonus (also a class skill). If youve got a way to make your enemies provoke, this can be a good option. Still, they tend to have unusual properties and its often that nobody at the table decided to invest in this skill. Color me unimpressed. This ability gives you access to three decent spells that essentially allow you to quiz your DM about whatever you like. Every oracle who chooses the cure wounds option will fill this role to some degree, but this particular listing is for characters who truly choose to pursue this. If youre interested in playing the Controller role, this ability lets you use Obscuring Mist without remorse. Except you can already summon ice elementals with the regular spell, and this doesnt even let you cast it faster. You dont even get that. Weapons only tend to matter early on, so this has middling value for the casting focused oracle. Before the Advanced Race Guide arrived Halflings were a green race, lingering behind Gnome as the tiny caster. Now theyve taken solid footing in blue. The best part is that you arent forced to use this, though its probably worth it after level 3 or so. Requiring 4 hours in the sunlight every day will cause issues for many adventurers, and it takes entirely too long to get to the good stuff. This is awful. Need into a chest? The oracle often dumps her wisdom, so a boost to this is a welcome thing. Skills (****): Two knowledge skills, one of which is one of the big four so this is a solidly good. Not in combat of course, but once youre picking up the pieces. It starts off with granting arcane bond, then lets you perform metamagic on the fly or add 3 wizard spells to your spells known, and ends with a doubled up Spell Focus. Flying DCs cap at around 20-25, and most of the disadvantages of flight are completely negated by simply not having wings. | OGN Articles It might be worth it at much higher levels when you get more than two uses from it, but I doubt it even then. Pathfinder 2e - The Oracle Handbook | RPGBOT They are deep thinkers and often quick of wit, but prideful and equally quick-tempered. Move along, move along. Erase from Time (**): This ability is excellent! On the whole though, its pretty easily skipped. Favored Class (*): While this could potentially be useful for a Flames oracle, even then it cant compare to a bonus skill point or more health. Considering how prolific the elves are, I dont see this being an issue to use. Ive loved half-orcs for as long as Ive played D&D, and up until pathfinder they sucked in a big way. Disruptive Spell (**): Its not a terrible choice if you face a lot of casters, since this forces enemy casters to make concentration checks in order to cast spells. To a single target. The discrepancy in rating here is that there arent a lot of AoE damage spells on the cleric list, particularly at lower levels. | Monad Echo SRD Skills (**): Intimidate is an okay addition, but the rest really isnt. Thats really, really rough. Its also rocking a +8 armor bonus at this point, so you may consider ditching your breastplate if those armor check penalties are getting in the way. Survival might be nice if youre looking for that sort of support, but its not a strong skill. Dimension Door is awesome, but Faerie Fire, Daylight, and Planar Adaptation are going to be dead weight most days. This ability is useful in combat if you. This is useless against everything else. Feel free to pick up the greater version as well. Throw your most powerful spell at this enemy, remembering that if you can disable it youll save your team a lot of effort in the long run. Your hitpoints are the only thing between you and an expensive resurrection spell, so amass as many as you can. Half-Elves are currently the only official race that has access to two different oracle favored class bonuses, which they can pick between each level. And youve got enough uses to go around! Read the Tapestry (-): You get to reach into the void and ask an elder god a couple questions while making an intelligence check to maintain your sanity for 1-5 weeks? Heighten Spell is an explicit exception to this. making it the most versatile weapon anyone in your party has. Youd be surprised at how many abilities this will work against. Magic Jar has potential but requires a lot of setup to really be worth its space. It also pairs very well with Cleave. Strike two. Reminder of Death (**): This will expand your command of the undead, but most of your interactions with Undead are likely to be with your own minion army. Early on its a boost to your land speed, or better vision, or a natural weapon to pair up with your melee attacks. A +2 to your spell level to do 2-14 extra damage a turn later? Half of this stuff is situational, but the bonuses against mind-affecting is where its at. If youre in melee range of the enemy just hit it with your weapon. Skills (****): All knowledge skills. Wayang rate orange and not red only if they take advantage of their favored class option. They come equipped with a racial climb thats as quick as their land speed, have decent vision, and the fun and useful Prehensile Tail for pulling potions, scrolls, wands, and rods. At 11th level, the bonus on Will saving throws increases to +4. It does scratch a few spells off of your list (like command), but its not a big sacrifice. Ive referenced it dozens of times for different reasons and Ive always found it both thorough and useful. You dont have to worry about a strong charisma score since very little of what youll be doing requires saving throws. See Half-Elf. It requires a standard action to lower your spell resistance for allies to affect you with anything. It costs two lame skill bonuses and puts your speed up with the tall folk. The boosts are nice (when they are necessary), and bonus spells tend to be the spells you make your build around, but still I cant decide if this is red or orange, but Im going to err on the side of generous and give it orange because its most useful at lower levels. It continues to scale, and lets be honest: youre always going to need healing. Fly makes an awkward appearance because this Mystery doesnt grant you the ability to fly- so you cant actually take ranks in this skill unless you pick up flight from somewhere else. I get to ignore the power attack penalty to the first attack I make each round? This is significant because it potentially allows humans to pursue powerful abilities designed for the less inclined races, such as the Elfs Ancient Lorekeeper archetype or the Wayangs favored class bonuses. need to know what a monster is, but Im not sure that even that is enough to make this worth taking. Its a couple minor penalties (for your enemies) and a 1 in 5 shot at messing up a verbal spell. If theres anyone else in your party who has access to these spells then theyre almost entirely better off casting them instead of you. Before we really delve into the bloodlines, this needs to be stated: in order to be considered a good choice for the oracle, the powers you obtain through the feats need to be strong choices in succession. Its based on Wisdom, which sucks, but I wouldnt suggest dumping Intelligence to raise your Wisdom score- youre going to need a lot of skill points. Keep in mind that with bonus class skills its almost always worth putting a single rank into these. your feats to gain a series of mostly unimpressive spell-like abilities. Its got a lower cost and usually does about the same. If you decided to pursue one of the less traditional mysteries for the Warrior path, heavy armor is going to help you out. Lure of the Heavens (***): I love the flavor of this ability, but its usefulness is hampered slightly by having Overland Flight at exactly the same point as the flight ability kicks in. Keep in mind that these are only my opinions, but they should help you play to each roles strengths. Definitely take Primal Mastery if you pick this up. A bite attack is useful for Warrior types, and Gifted Linguist is a quirky way to get all the languages rather quickly if you want them. This here is everything the Mystic Theurge should have been and more. Focus on the biggest threat first, especially casters and archers. It might be worth it at much higher levels when you get more than two uses from it, but I doubt it even then. Keep a second weapon on hand at all times (something lightweight and of a different damage type), and consider tucking a sling into your belt as well. Boon of Bravery (Su): As a move action, you can call upon your deities to grant you courage. Iron Order (Sp): Once per day, you can issue an order as per suggestion. Its got a poor range and poor damage, as well as a nearly useless caltrop effect. Spellscar [PCS: Inner Sea Magic]: Controller, Blaster, Enabler, Textbook, Medic. If youve got spellcaster friends, dont bother. Every core race got a boost, which bumped Elves to green and Halflings to Blue. You even get a few new options! The combat roles for an oracle are as follows: Warrior:This character has placed a large emphasis on the use of weapons in combat, using her melee presence to shape the flow of battle. Considering the amount of vision-hampering abilities you can lay out, this is actually pretty useful. Broken wands and staves burn twice as many charges. If you take Throw Anything this might be worth two stars, but I really doubt it. Goblins bring a penalty to your two favorite stats, and a great bonus to one youre not that interested in. Other times that means disabling a powerful enemy. In this video we cover the basics of how a Mystery functions as well as covering the first four mysteries.