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grailfinders · 1 year

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Fate and Phantasms #20P: Cu Chulainn (Prototype)

today on fate and phantasms… cu, 2! ye, its protocu. since we didn’t wanna just make “cu, but with armor” we’re giving him wolves again. he’s mostly a fighter this time, but we also dip into beastmaster for the doggos, and mauler to specialize in his big ol’ spear.

check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

next up: THIS! IS! a word used to identify a specific person or thing close at hand or being indicated or experienced.

ancestry and background

ur just. a younger cu. you’re still a human aasimar. that gives you a boost in any two stats you like, like strength and wisdom! and since you’re an aasimar you can get funky feats at level 1 like musetouched, giving you a +1 bonus to escaping, and you can’t get critical failures to escape or noncritical successes. that means you’ll always be able to try again if you mess up, and when you escape you can always get five feet away as part of the action!

at level 5, your blessed blood deals good damage to creatures that deal piercing or slashing damage to you, and you can make holy water easier if you use your blood. being a child of light has its perks! its painful, painful perks.

at level 9 you can hear the call of Elysium, increasing you and your nearby allies’ speeds by 5’. you won’t get as speedy as your main you, but you’re still in training! keep it up, youll get there.

at level 13, we get a lil humany with some advanced general training, giving you access to a general feat from 7th level or lower, like for example the Keen Follower feat. if you’re following some sort of expert, or say, teacher from the land of shadows for instance, you get a bonus to the Follow the Expert activity based on how good they are at their chosen skill. Scathach is really, really good at everything, so this should go smoothly.

at level 17, you can radiate glory¸ making that whole child of light thing suuuper literal. for a minute, you glow, and any creature who can see you has to make a will save against you or you get concealed or hidden from them for a bit. you can do this whenever you want, but when a creature makes the save, they’re immune to making that save again for a day. also, even if you’re hidden from them, you can’t sneak this way- ur still a giant living nightlight.

you haven’t started training with Scathach yet, so for now you’re just a wanderer. and since they’re the only background in the book with ‘wanderer’ in the name, we’re going with the Varisian Wanderer. they’re a bit more circus-y than I’d like, but tbh I think Cu would get a kick out of it. with this, you’re trained in Performance and Circus Lore. you can also make a Fascinating Performance- while performing, you can use the skill check against the will DC of someone watching. if you succeed, they’re fascinated by you for a round, becoming immune for an hour regardless of the result. it gets better the more we train in performance, but that’s not what this build’s about.

you also get a boost in Dexterity and Strength.

Class Levels

1. okay, let’s get the long part out of the way: you’re trained in will saves, your class DC, advanced weapons, all kinds of armor, athletics, nature, survival, intimidation, and eventually, religion. you’re also an expert in fortitude and reflex saves, perception, and all other kinds of weapons. you’ll specialize in spears eventually, but I’m sure your sensei gave you plenty of training with just about everything.

starting in the class now, your Key Ability is Strength, meaning all your fighter skills that make saves happen have their numbers based on how beefy you are. it also gives you an Ability Boost, and you get four more from the feature of the same name in Strength, Constituiton, Wisdom, and Charisma. you can also make Attacks of Opportunity as a reaction to something moving, making a ranged attack, or manipulating an item in your reach. if being defensive isn’t your cup of tea, you can also make a Power Attack by spending two actions. it’s like you made two attacks, and you deal two weapon dice of damage. that sounds… like you might as well have made two separate attacks, right? well, no. at higher levels, you deal even more damage, so it starts to get better and better as you go. it’s not quite Gae Bolg yet, but we’re getting there. you shouldn’t even have Gae Bolg yet, anyway.

you can also Shield Block as a reaction, but you don’t have a shield, so… yeah. maybe get a shield, if you want. block things.

2. if you don’t want a shield that’s fine, because at level 2 you can perform a Dueling Parry as an action, giving you a boost in AC for the turn if you have a one-handed weapon, and nothing else in your other hand. we’ll get a proper two-handed Gae Bolg later, but for now you’re on dinky training spears.

you’re also an Experienced Tracker, so you can move at full speed while tracking if you’re willing to take a small penalty to your tracking checks. as you level up in survival, you’ll lose that penalty, and eventually only have to roll once for the whole endeavour!

and for your first archetype, we��re getting you a puppy! I hope this comes out before the 25th so we can call it a Christmas present, but remember that real dogs are years-long commitments, and probably shouldn’t be sprung on people. you can make this either a wolf or a dog, there’s not a whole lot of difference aside from how popular they’ll be in civilized areas. though really there’s actually a shitton of animals you can pick from, though admittedly having an electric eel as an animal companion feels pretty niche. also a fun part of this archetype is how you refocus- you just gotta play with your puppy!

still, an extra body on the field is always helpful, and your good boy or girl starts out being able to rip peoples’ tendons off for reduced speed! what a scamp!

3. at level 3, you’ve got some Bravery, which will come in handy murdering that guy’s dog if you haven’t gotten on that yet. it makes you an expert in Will Saves, and your successes against fear effects are always critical! on top of that, you take one less point of being frightened whenever it happens.

you’re also an expert in Survival now, congrats.

speaking of survival though, you can now Predict Weather by spending 10 minutes outdoors, and you can do this once every 24 hours. if you pass the survival check you’ll learn how cold, windy, and wet it’ll be that day, as well as any weather events, and you’ll get a bonus to preparing for them. there’s also a chance you’ll get it completely wrong, but it’s more accurate than most weather people to be sure.

4. your spear’s a big ol’ stick, so you should be able to use a Quick Reversal to poke two people in a row as one action. if they’re both on opposite sides, you can attack one and then the other without bumping up your multi-attack penalty more than once. it’s a flourish though, so you can only use this once per turn. still, it’s a nifty trick!

you’ve also spent plenty of time in the Irish countryside, so you know about all sorts of weird animals- enough to tell when That’s Not Natural! at least. you get a +1 bonus to all initiative checks against creatures who are aberrations, fey, mutants, or undead, or if they’re just from another plane, if you’re in the wild. also, while in the wild you get to add 1 to your perception DC to notice those guys.

if you’re already fighting demonic boars this early, you’re gonna need to know how to Heal Animal, giving you your first focus spell, fittingly named… Heal Animal. you spend one or two actions to heal any nearby animal. the one-action version is touch and heals 1d8 HP, while the two-action version has 30’ of range and heals 1d8+8 hp. that’ll go up as you level too. so actually, right now it’s 2d8 and 2d8+16.

5. fifth level’s pretty quick, just an Ability Boost in Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, and Charisma, some Fighter Weapon Mastery for increased proficiency with spears as well as their critical specialization (makes ‘em clumsy), and expertise in Athletics. servants do be strong.

6. at level 6, your Advanced Weapon Training makes you as good with advanced spears as you are with martial ones. Gae Bolg is pretty fancy, it’s probably advanced, right?

you’re also pretty nature-y, so you can be a Forager. that means you can now use your subsist rolls and succeed on foraging, you can provide food and shelter for up to four other creatures too. critical successes now double that amount, or you can halve it for a comfortable night in the woods instead of one of subsistence.

your level of expertise with survival also doubles that amount, so you can provide subsistence for up to eight other creatures normally, 16 on a crit, or four creatures if you want them to be comfortable. it’s nice, and Scathach sure ain’t gonna make your life in the Land of Shadows comfortable.

finally, you get a Mature Beastmaster Companion. no, not like that. your pupper’s just an adult now. now it can take actions even if you don’t specifically command it this also increases its strength, dexterity, constitution, and wisdom modifiers by 1, it uses two dice for unarmed damage, it’s now an expert in perception and all saves, and it’s trained in intimidation, stealth, and survival, or it’s one step better at those if it’s already trained in that. also, it grows a size if it was medium or smaller. it’s a lot, your puppy’s great now.

7. at level seven you become a Battlefield Surveyor thanks to all your training from Scathach. and you might not be a monk this time around, but you still have a Powerful Leap. finally, your Weapon Specialization deals more damage each hit the more skilled you are with your weapon, i.e. all spears currently deal an extra three damage per hit.

you’re also better at survival now. that’s even more subsistence, and you lose that tracking reduction at full speed. you’re welcome.

8. you’re going to be throwing spears around eventually, so when that happens, make sure you have some Incredible Aim. you can spend two actions to add two to a strike, while also ignoring if your target is concealed.

you’re also a Wilderness Spotter, so you can use survival instead of perception for initiative in forests. you can also use survival to find and disarm traps.

finally, your puppo’s now an Incredible Beastmaster’s Companion. with this, your dog becomes either nimble or savage. a Savage doggo adds two to its Strength modifier, and one two its Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom. it also deals 3 extra damage, and its athletics is now expert, and it learns and advanced maneuver. also, its attacks are magic now! there’s a lot of demon boars running around, this is more useful than you’d think. Nimble is pretty similar, though its Dexterity modifiergrows by 2 while the rest grow by 1, it only deals 2 extra damage, and its proficiency is in Acrobatics instead. its attacks do also become magical though, so whichever you pick you’ll be able to take hunting with you.

advanced maneuvers vary based on type of companion, but wolves and dogs can knockdown a creature they’ve bitten as an action.

9. at level nine, it’s mostly just getting better at what you already do. outside of your Combat Flexibility, but the whole point there is the, y’know, flexibility, so you can grab an 8th level or lower fighter feat you want each daily preparation. you also become a Juggernaut, gaining mastery in Fortitude saves, and all those saves critically succeed if you don’t fail. in a similar vein, you’re also a master in Athletics now.

10. it’s time to cu it up properlike! first up, your Ability Boost in Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma certainly won’t hurt. you. you also gain some Combat Reflexes, giving you an extra reaction each round that can only be used for attacks of opportunity. Cu specializes in multi-man melee, so this just makes sense.

there’s not really a skill feature I’m chomping on the bit for, but Rapid Mantel is fine. you’re fast, and now you can climb a little faster. really, it’s the archetype feat that’s interesting this time around. as a Mauler, you’re now a little better at using a properly-sized spear as well as any other two-handed weapons. thanks to the weird wording of the dedication, this proficiency matches any feature that improves your skill with any weapon- since you’re a master with spears already, you’re a master with all two-handed weapons, and you gain their critical specializations while using them. it’s not a huge buff yet, but you’re still training.

11. another one of those levels. you’re now an expert with your Class DC and all armor, plus medium and heavy armors get their specialization effects. you also get expertise with Intimidation, and you’re finally enough of a protagonist for some Untrained Improvisation, so any skill check you make now adds at least your level to the roll.

12. level twelve gets a bit fun, as your Brutal Finish lets you end your turn in style if you’re using a two-handed weapon. you deal one last strike before you turn ends, which deals extra damage, and even if the attack fails you’ll still deal that damage to whatever got away. I mean I guess that’s Gae Bolg done then?

also, your Terrifying Resistance gives you a boost to saves made against creatures you’ve demoralized, giving you some Rune Magic and making this the most in-character level so far.

finally, while wielding Gae Bolg you can Clear the Way by spending two actions, letting you shove up to five creatures next to you and then stride up to half your speed without triggering attacks from anyone who got pushed around. I know this Cu doesn’t get disengage, but fuck it here’s disengage.

13. this is another fast one- you’re an expert in Nature now to get along with your pup better, and you’re a Weapon Legend, which bumps up all sorts of stuff for you. you’re now an expert in advanced weapons, a master with simple and martial weapons, and legendary when it comes to all things spears and two-handed. looks like that training is really paying off!

14. to best make use of that extra damage, you can now spend all three actions in a turn to make a Whirlwind Strike against every creature within reach of you. just spin that sucker around and watch the fireworks.

you also get a little more dexterous, since you can now pull off a Wall Jump. if you end a jump next to a wall, you don’t fall as long as your next action is jumping again, and you can even make that a high or long jump as a single action.

finally, we’re going to pop back to beastmaster real quick so you and your cu can fight Side by Side. Whenever you and your puppy are next to the same person, they’re flanked, regardless of where you two are in relation to each other.

15. use this Ability Boost for some more Strength, Constitution, Wisdom, and Charisma. just keep swinging, and you’ll get out of this training montage eventually. you also get some protection from arrows thanks to your Evasion- you’re a master with Reflex saves, and you always succeed critically now.

you get generally better too, with Improved Flexibility giving you a second fighter feat you can swap around at will and Greater Weapon Specialization giving you even more damage bonuses to weapons you’re good at using, so you have a +8 on all spear damage. you’re also legendary in Survival now, so you can be a Legendary Guide. whenever you’re leading the party in wilderness, they gain extra speed for traveling, and difficult terrain slows your party down less. this is probably mostly the dog, if we’re being honest.

16. at level 16 you can make an Overwhelming Blow-stop giggling- to put all your actions into one attack. if you hit, it’s always critical, and if it would be critical anyway you can add a d12 to the damage. regardless, you become flat footed for a round, and you lose an action next turn. you’re not quite there with the Gae Bolg yet, I guess. keep at it!

one thing you definitely have though is Intimidating Prowess. show off your power for a +1 bonus to your intimidation check, and you don’t lose points for not sharing a language. the warp spasm is universal.

I don’t know why I imagine protocu with two dogs, but I do, so here’s an Additional Companion, why not. You can still only have one at a time in a fight for now, but now you don’t have to pick between a strong dog and an agile one.

17. you’re now a master in all armor, and your legendary athletics make you pretty buff despite your frame. it’s the god dna, I bet.

18. so you can bolg, but let’s try and help you bolg without fucking up your spine, okay? check out the Savage Critical feat, it lets you critically hit with weapons you’re legendary with on 19s or 20s. you have a weirdly large number of weapons you’re really good at, so that helps out a lot.

you can also Cloud Jump, because I played a lot of Final Fantasy as a kid, so now someone holding a spear instantly gets them associated with dragoons in my brain. still, you can triple your long jump distances, and your high jumps use the regular long jump calculation.

finally, you can use your big ol’ stick to trip people, usually called a Knockdown. spend two actions to attack someone, and if it hits you can try to trip them before adding to your multiple attack penalty.

19. you can now use your dogs to make an Expeditious Search, so you can search twice as fast as other people. you’re also better in Nature, and as a Versatile Legend you get better with all your weapons and your Class DC. it’s a lot of words, but it’s all proficiency changes.

20. at level twenty, you’re now ready to face the world with your brand-new Weapon Supremacy. it permanently gives you an extra action to strike with. you also speed up enough to Quick Climb, giving you a climb speed equal to your walking speed. you already jump good enough this shouldn’t be a problem, but this should make climbing up a building for dramatic ambushes easier.

wait, wrong Cu. speaking of cus though, you can now Lead the Pack, bringing both your dogs to a fight at the same time. you can only command an animal once per turn, but you can either make one do two actions, or two do one action. even if you don’t command them, you can have one animal take an action on your turn to move or attack. many hands make light work, after all! or, paws? mouths? idk.

Pros and Cons

Pros

the Action Economy is always important in any game, and so having three whole creatures who can fight and move and interact with stuff is always super useful. gang up on people, it’s fun! god knows they’ll repay the favor later.

you’ve got a wide variety of weapons you’re really good with, since you’re legendary with all spears, but also all two-handed melee weapons. that means you can almost always have something on hand that can crit twice as often and comes with their fancy-pants crit specialization to boot!

you’re really good with animals, so traveling in the wilderness is much less of an issue for your party. and since you bring animals wherever you go, there will always be some benefit to keeping those skills sharp!

Cons:

you really only specialize in melee weapons, as do your wolves, so fighting anything at Range might be a problem since you don’t have any spells or many ranged options at all. I mean, in-character. cu’s still a fighter, so he’s still good with a bow if you need it.

you’ve got a lot of stuff dealing with beasts and following others, so you’re at your best in the early game. most games are early-game so it’s not necessarily a bad thing, but being nice to dogs isn’t really a level 20 ability.

your dogs aren’t sturdy, they get roughly the same amount of HP as a wizard, and even with two dogs they’ll work their way through them very fast. expect to spend a lot of time healing these things. given how you prefer to be in as many peoples’ faces as humanly possible, you three are going to be doing very different things on the battlefield.

#fgo #pathfinder #fate grand order #pf2e #Cu Chulainn #fighter #beastmaster #mauler

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