Character Builds

[ludomastro]

Also, for instance, how would you build a character like Elric or perhaps a character along the lines of Rand Al Thor?

By this I assumed you meant Edward Elric of Full Metal Alchemist Fame.  Well, here's my take on him with the explanation of my decisions thrown in.

Q: Does alchemy need to be described by magic?
A: Not necessarily.  I will present this build under the assumption that the answer is no.

Q: How should alchemy be represented then?
A: Let's look at what Ed actually does with it - most of the time.
He transmutes his metal arm slightly in order to give himself a short blade.
He also exploits the weaknesses of his enemies using alchemy to change either his weapon or their body (e.g. Greed's shield) in some way.
Most of the rest of the time, he uses alchemy in a way that we could handwave as dramatic fluff.  The use of alchemy to transmute the ground and use it as an elevator is great but difficult to model with existing spells short of fly.  I'm opting to write it off for now.

Q: Any other things that are either unique or needed to capture the feel of the character?
A: Determination, hardheadedness, stubbornness, refusal to give up, ability to take WAY more punishment than his size/age should allow, quickness, agility, martial arts, and a sharp tongue.

OK, let's get started.

I picked Nimble Fist as his Talent/Specialty pair and Martial Artist as his class.

Nimble covers his speed and acrobatics while giving us some options.
Fist covers more speed, the Two-Hit Combo Feat and more acrobatics.
Martial Artist (class) provides the Martial Artist feat; however, I picked this class more for the core ability than anything else.  Ed seems to be able to bounce back from pretty much anything.  He crawled to the transmutation circle to drag his brother's soul back through the Gate while missing a limb!  That's hardcore.

So, why else would I pick Martial Artist?  Well, the Disciplines looked attractive and the extra Reach could model his battlefield mobility.  The mix of Unarmed and Melee combat feats work well with his armored arm and his open hand as well.

Wuxia also helps free our short (sorry, Ed) friend from some of the restrictions on mobility.

Thus we have the following:

Edward Elric
Nimble Human Fist
Martial Artist 14

STR - 14 - 2 (Nimble) + 1 (Fist) = 13
DEX - 13 + 2 (Nimble) + 3 (Level benefits) = 18
CON - 13
INT - 13 + 1 (Discipline @ lvl 11) = 14
WIS - 13
CHA - 12 + 1 (Discipline @ lvl 2) = 13

Feats
Two-Hit Combo (Fist)
Martial Artist
Qi Basics
Qi Mastery
Qi Supremacy
(Mechanically, the Qi feats help deal with alchemy during combat after some flavoring.)
Sword Basics
Sword Mastery
(His arm weapon could be modeled as a sword sword with the Unborn weapon upgrade.)
Sword and Fist
Aggro Basics
Aggro Mastery
(Ed can be really annoying at times.  But he makes the best of it.)
Living on the Edge (need fuel for Edge tricks)
Lucky Break (need fuel for Edge tricks)
Charging Basics (battlefield mobility)

Proficiencies
Unarmed Forte
Edged Forte

Tricks
Called Shot (Nimble)
Cheap Shot
Parry
Relentless Attack
Shove (Melee)
Shove (Unarmed)*
Mix-Up: Disarm
Mix-Up: Anticipate
Mix-Up: Trip
Mix-Up: Taunt
* At my table, you need to specify.  If you don't need to specify at your table, then pick another trick.

Ploys (from Martial Artist)
Knife Hand (Unarmed Attack Trick)
Provoke
Strut

He's got Reach 3 and can move 55 feat.  He also gets a free attack while charging.  (You can flavor that as an alchemical attack if you like.)

---~~---

I also seriously debated Martial Artist 1 (for the Core Ability) Mage 3 and Rune Knight 10.  In the end, I decided that magic wasn't critical to my concept of Ed.

I hope that helps.

[Mister Andersen]

I suspect he meant Elric of Melnibone

[ludomastro]

I had never heard of that Elric.  Ahh, well, perhaps he will still get something useful from the post.

[Krensky]

Which is of sad, since Moorcock's where D&D's alignment sytem and the nine pointed star in Warhammer comes from.

As for the character, an Elf caster with a lowish Con and some fluff changes would do in a pinch.

[acseric]

All cool stuff.(yes, I did mean Elric or Melnibone)  Frankly, any insight into character builds is helpful for me (still learning)

Another couple of builds I would like to see some takes on:
(note, these are less characers in literature, more actual things I want to model in my campaign)

A gnome tinkerer with a clockwork companion

A witch hunter, dedicated to eliminating wild mages before they come to power.
(I see this character possibly having an alignment and/or spellcasting of his own)

Thanks in advance!

Eric

[Antilles]

I'm actually playing a mage hunter in the Rising Unrest PbP right now. Here's the character sheet if you'd like to have a gander. The plan is to make a classic Martial Artist / Monk, with the Mage Hunter, Haze Basics and Haze Mastery feats. I'm also planning on getting the save boost feats, seeing as it'll take at least 3 rounds before I can use Dam the River, and good saves can help make those 3+ rounds less painful. Otherwise he'll be a bog-standard "I punch things really well" type of character.

[paddyfool]

A gnome tinkerer with a clockwork companion

Gnome: Pech with the Quickfinger feat.
Tinkerer: Artisan is the go-to speciality for this.  Class is most likely Keeper, although Mages and, to a lesser extent, Priests (w. Path of Metal) and Sages can do well at this too.
Companion: Taking the Personal Lieutenant feat can give you an NPC with the Unborn template (or very similar NPC qualities to it), the Special Construction: Clockwork feat, and pretty much whatever you want to slap on depending on what you want it to do.

A witch hunter, dedicated to eliminating wild mages before they come to power.
(I see this character possibly having an alignment and/or spellcasting of his own)

As an alternative to what's already been suggested:

Species/Talent: Crusading Human would work pretty well, taking, say, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Speciality: Warden would do all right for this, taking something character- and setting-appropriate in the way of terrain for Pathfinder Basics (although Indoors/Settled would be where you'd find the most Mages, one would expect).  
Class: There's no specific anti-magic class.  The one with the most access to anti-magic tools (outside of Spellbound) would be the Mage themself, oddly enough, although a Priest with Path of Magic would also do well.  As for a man-hunting class, either the Assassin, Emissary, or Scout might do rather well depending on your preferred methods of hunting etc., and for an added bonus, they'd have access to the highly appropriate Mage Hunter feat.  Whereas a Soldier or Martial Artist would be best for quickly killing a mage.  Heh, you could actually build an entire party of various types of witch hunters quite easily.

For now, though, let's go with option a) and plan to fight magic with a degree of magic.  Let's go with the Priest.  Give them an Alignment ("Inquisition") that grants Path of Magic and, say, Path of Justice, with skills maybe being Investigate, Search, Survival and Tactics, and perhaps the Fire Lance for a ritual weapon ("Burn the heretic!").  Take various steps down Path of Magic, spend your Rep on appropriate magic items or contacts, your gold on appropriate Armour (I'd recommend something Giantcraft with lots of elemental resistance upgrades) and some feats/gold on a way to put the hurt on fast at a distance (a gun-slinging type with Quick Draw and maybe the Black Powder feats would seem appropriate).  Then go to town.

[Kerebrus]

I'm actually playing a mage hunter in the Rising Unrest PbP right now. Here's the character sheet if you'd like to have a gander. The plan is to make a classic Martial Artist / Monk, with the Mage Hunter, Haze Basics and Haze Mastery feats. I'm also planning on getting the save boost feats, seeing as it'll take at least 3 rounds before I can use Dam the River, and good saves can help make those 3+ rounds less painful. Otherwise he'll be a bog-standard "I punch things really well" type of character.

I am loathe to want to play rainmake here, but the Mage Hunter feat is going to preclude you taking the Monk Expert class, with all those paths it does give caster levels.  (the GM could hand wave that though)

[Blankbeard]

I made up this guy as a mage hunter.   Hopefully he's different enough to give you something to think about.  I might throw together a gnome golem rider too.

Garreth Othkarson is the son of the late Othkar Magebane, the famous hunter of outlaw mages.  He received an amazingly wide ranging education in the ways of mages that his companions often joke that he can smell spellcasters a mile off. Initially trading on his father's name, Garreth has become a respectable hunter himself.  After his father was murdered by the wizard Eldo Blackpool while staying as a guest of local nobility, Garreth retrieved his father's manual of mage fighting and vowed revenge.

Garreth has many tools for finding mages:  Investigation, a free hint, Cold Read ("Is he a mage?") and Mark.  He activates criticals againsts mages for 1 less action die (and others at 10th level) While he prefers ambush, he is perfectly capable of a stand up fight.  

Human Unpredictable Adept
Assassin 1
Vitality 11
Str 14 Dex 14 Con 12 Int 12 (13 from Unpredictable) Wis 12 Cha 14
 
 Feats: Lightning Reflexes (Unpredictable), Mage Hunter (Adept), Bow Basics
 Proficiencies Edged forte, Bows forte
 Tricks:  Mix-Up
 Origin Skills:  Blend and Investigate
 Skills:  Blend +6 Disguise+3 Intimidate +3 Investigate +5 Notice +5 Prestidigitation +5 Resolve +4 Sense Movtive +3 Tactics +5
 Interests: Native culture, effects of enchantments, famous mages
 Gear: 120 silver
 Prudence 1 Panache 2
 A short bow, 30 arrows, a dagger and a auir of moderate padded armor uses up what's left over after basic adventuring kit.
Heroic Renown 1

 Choose which type to turn from what mages are known to summon.  You have Spell Resistance 12 + level, which is mostly useful once you get a few levels.
 
 
Here he is at 10
Assassin 3, Soldier 1, Deadeye 6
Vitality 113
Abilities as above but Dex 15, Int 14

Feats:  As above, level and class if a bonus feat
3rd: Mark
4th: Soldier 1: Quick Draw
5th: Deadeye 1: Bow Mastery
6th: Anonymity Basics
7th: Deadeye 3: Ambush Basics
9th: Deadeye 5: Bow Supremacy
10th: Deadeye 6 Sniper: Most Deadly Bows/Black Powder
Proficiencies:  Black powder forte, practiced shot, target shooting
Interests: Summoned creatures, releasing enchantments,  a language
Skills Athletics+15 Blend+15 Disguise+5 Intimidate +8 Investigate+13 Notice+13 Prestidigitation+5 Resolve+14 Sense Motive+7 Search+8 Survival+2 Tactics+14
Gear
Panache 3 Prudence 2
Fireproofed moderate Padded armor, a short sword and short bow, other gear as needed.

Magic item:  Othkar's Codex Detailing Methods for the Removal of Diverse Magics (Counter Magic I 3/scene, Anti-Magic Field I 2/adventure , 10th level 45-10(2h) reputation)  This book, compiled by Garreth's father, lists materials, methods, and mental preparation that allows the removal of many spells and even contains a fourmula for a concoction that absorbs all magic in an area for a time.

Heroic Renown 4
25 Reputation

***Edit:  There is one additional feat at 9th.  Your choice.

[Antilles]

I'm actually playing a mage hunter in the Rising Unrest PbP right now. Here's the character sheet if you'd like to have a gander. The plan is to make a classic Martial Artist / Monk, with the Mage Hunter, Haze Basics and Haze Mastery feats. I'm also planning on getting the save boost feats, seeing as it'll take at least 3 rounds before I can use Dam the River, and good saves can help make those 3+ rounds less painful. Otherwise he'll be a bog-standard "I punch things really well" type of character.

I am loathe to want to play rainmake here, but the Mage Hunter feat is going to preclude you taking the Monk Expert class, with all those paths it does give caster levels.  (the GM could hand wave that though)

D'oh! Completely forgot about that. Oh well, straight Martial Artist it is, then.

[paddyfool]

@Blankbeard,

Like the build!  As for the 9th level feat: Archery Master is a shoe-in for combat effectiveness; however, with a will save of just +7, I'd also be tempted by Iron Will.  YMMV.

[ludomastro]

D'oh! Completely forgot about that. Oh well, straight Martial Artist it is, then.

Let me think on that.  We might be able to work that out.

[Sletchman]

Personally, I'd say it's well within the theme of Mage Hunter for Miracles based casters to take it.  In fact, in an upcoming campaign Mage Hunter is the cornerstorne of an organisation of Paladin's in my campaign world, and I might actually build a full path around it (Granting it at step 1).  YMMV, campaign dependant, check with your GM, and all those disclaimers, but given the feel of the feat, I'd say it's suitable for the right flavour of Monk to take it.

Just my $0.05.