The Hobgoblin Who Ganked A Mage A motivational story, by OP
So my DM and I made what, I am pretty sure is, the ideal grapple-based anti-mage for Pathfinder. Here goes: Race: Hobgoblin Variants: Scarred (personal preference, but the +1 AC has saved my ass), Mage-hunter (duh) Stats: Highest WIZ and DEX you can get away with. CON also useful, as always. Traits: Adopted -> Spellcasters Anethema (Dwarf), Serpentine Squeeze LVL 1> Arcanist
- Arcanist Exploit: School Understanding: - Abjuration (Counterspell) (gives the Disruption effect) st o 1 lvl feat: Additional Arcanist Exploit o Arcanist Exploit: Sorcerer Bloodline: - Empyreal (Celestial) (allows anon to use WIS as his casting modifier) . You also randomly get a 1d4+1 beam which deals 1d4+1 damage to baddies, and healings to good guys! Have saved good party members in the past with this (and damaged an evil one by mistake). - Spell list o Cantrips: (up to you, anons, but I usually prepare Daze, Mending, Detect Magic, etc., for the utility) st o 1 lvl spells: . Enlarge Person (grapple bigger mages) . Mage Armour (harder to hit by mages, ‘cause it’s armour specifically for protection against mages, see?) . Rite of the Centred Mind (harder to mind-f**k by mages) . (Argument could be made to use “Ki Arrow”, as it gives Anon range, and the idea of grappling someone from 100ft with an arrow is hilarious.) LVL 2> Monk
- Subclass: Master of Many Styles. o Feat: Grabbing Style (grab with 2 hands, so you can grapple multiple low AC mages at once, taking -4 to first hug attempt, -8 to the second. With a DEX of +6, this ends up being pretty okay. Arguably, it is better to roll twice against one target with a negative modifier than once with these kind of stats, sorta like rolling with advantage in 5e) o Class feat: Improved Unarmed Strike (hug, and don’t get hit back) LVL 3> Brawler
- Subclass: Strangler rd o 3 level feat: Improved Grapple (yeeee) o Brawler-class feat: School Strike (so we can use Disruption whenever we grapple an opponent, so they can’t cast spells while they can’t cast spells!) o Practised Strangler (sneak attack (+1d6) to mages while you give them hugs) o Martial Flexibility (can get ANY COMBAT FEAT by expending a move action 4 TIMES A DAY!?!) LVL 4> Monk, cont’d
- Subclass: Master of Many Styles o Feat: Kraken Style (anon is so wise, they C R O M C H) o Evasion (Fireball? What fireball?)
Okay, now let’s see this boi (or gorl) in action: Anon, the rejected hobgoblin arcanist, cast out by their adopted family, their Magic College, their friends, stands alone against a deadly 6th Evocation wizard, (D*ckface McF*g-spanner, DM) hands hidden between 2 massive fireballs. But little does DM know, Anon has learned to master themselves, rather than the outside world. 1st round Anon goes first, with high DEX. Anon:
- Expend movement to get the feat Combat Style Master - Get both Grabbing and Kraken Styles online as free actions - Spend main action casting Mage Armor - AC is now ~20 - Spend swift action calling DM lots of nasty names - Fail the Intimidate check, because CHA is for Bards, who are sissies DM:
- Expend movement to vigorously masturbate - Cast ‘Fireball’ at climax as main action - Metamagic assery makes it ½ force damage because WIZARDS -
2nd round Anon:
- Clears distance between himself and DM with a move action - Casts ‘Screw You Bitch I Am A Master At Chokeslams’ -
DM
- …wets pants, and doesn’t even try to break out of the grapple - Attempts to attack with familiar - Peck.mp4 -
Round 3 Anon:
- Expend movement action to get Kraken Wrack - Pins DM - ~3d6+11 CRUSHING - The Circlet of Elements DM is wearing goes from “O” to “8” shaped - DM is deader than an antivaxxers firstborn
End of combat
Disclaimer: you are still pretty squishy, at around 17HP at level 4, but if you can cast Mage Armor, then you are pretty much okay from all but the luckiest of mages.