Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous – How To Build A Skald

Building a character is part of the appeal of role-playing games. Players like to create their own unique adventurers with a variety of options, including everything from their combat skills to appearance. Some games offer more choices than others, and this is one of the ways Pathfinder sets itself apart from its competitors in the TTRPG universe. There are 25 classes to choose from in the Pathfinder franchise, whether you’re playing the tabletop version of the game or the recently released video game, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

Some of the classes in Pathfinder don’t exist in other games. The Skald class is unique to the Pathfinder universe. It’s been compared to other casters that rely on Charisma, including Bards and Paladins, and it seems to have a few things in common with both. Bards usually take on support or healing roles, but a Skald can wear heavier armor and takes a more aggressive role, dealing damage with spells and melee weapons. They also have Rage abilities, giving them some of the battle prowess usually associated with Barbarians and Bloodragers.

Building a Skald is more difficult than other classes, presenting some challenges when it comes to filling various roles. This is a combination class, which means they can heal, do damage, or defend other party members. Getting the initial build right is the toughest part of playing a Skald, but given their range of abilities that include some hack and slash along with some savage casting abilities, they’re also a lot of fun to play. Every Pathfinder character starts with their class and Archetype, followed by their Ability Score allocation.

The Skald – Character Creation

Ability Scores

• Charisma. Spontaneous casters typically have this as their Primary Ability Score and the Skald is not an exception, but it’s not the only stat this class has to consider.
• Strength. Managing two primary ability scores is one of the reasons a Skald is considered to be a more difficult class to play, but this is also considered a martial class and therefore Strength is a priority as much as Charisma.
• Constitution. After Charisma and Strength, try to buff your Consitution as much as possible for maximum hit points. Skalds who want to focus on Healing or Support might want to make this a priority instead of Strength.
• Dexterity. Some of the common Skald builds include the use of finesse weapons, which are governed by this Ability Score.
• Wisdom. Not really something that concerns a Skald unless they want to multiclass into a class with Divine casting powers.
• Intelligence. Skalds with an interest in the Arcane might value this Ability Score, but otherwise, this is as close as a Skald gets to a “dump stat.”

Party Roles

• Damage and Crowd Control. The Skald often takes more than one role, and this is the most common combination of the two. The Skald does damage with both spells and weapons at melee range while supporting the main Defender.
• Striker and Healing Support. A Skald that uses Dexterity as much as Strength to draw enemies to strategic locations and keep them away from more vulnerable party members.
• Defense Support and Damage. Skalds rarely take on the role of the main tank, although the build is possible, this is a more realistic role given their armor class.

Racial Choices

• Aasimar: The Aasimar is a great start for a Skald. Several of the Heritage choices include bonuses to Charisma, Strength, or Dexterity, so the best depends on your specific idea of a Skald build.
• Dhampir: Strength is a common racial bonus for a Dhampir, and the Moroi-Born Heritage offers bonuses in both Strength and Charisma, making it a great choice provided you’re ready to play the unconventional Dhampir.
• Dwarf: The bonus to Constitution is nice, but the penalty to Charisma makes this a poor choice.
• Elf: This race takes a penalty to Consitution, but a Dexterity buff of +2 makes up for that, so you can build a Skald who does range and support damage instead.
• Gnome: The +2 to Charisma is great, but this race also takes a -2 penalty to Strength. Better off rolling a Bard if you have your heart set on a Gnome.
• Half-Elf: You can add +2 to the Ability Score of your choice, plus an extra Skill and immunity to all charm and sleep spells, so an ideal choice.
• Half-Orc: One of the best class choices for a defensive or melee Skald build, Half-Orcs also get a floating +2 Ability Score and instant familiarity with a wider range of weapons.
• Halfling: Other than the Dexterity bonus, but it might not be worth the -2 penalty to Strength. There’s not a lot here for the Skald to use other than the Charisma buff.
• Human: One of the best choices for any class thanks to the +2 bonus to the ability score of your choice, improved Will saves, and an extra Feat.
• Kitsune: Every choice for the Kitsune includes a Strength penalty, but on the other hand this race is known for its Dexterity, so it might not be a total loss.
• Oread: The Gemsoul Heritage for the Oread is the perfect choice for a Skald, not only for the handy Ability Score bonuses in all the right places but also for the role-play and lore value.
• Tiefling: With 11 choices for a Heritage, there’s something for everyone here. Be careful of your choice, however, as there are types of Tieflings that have penalities to the stats Skalds value.

The Skald Subclasses

The Skald is already a combination class that can fill a variety of different roles and the Archetypes allow players to refine their role in the party. The Skald’s repertoire of spells is Arcane in Nature, and they can cast spells in light or medium armor without any penalties, although these abilities tend to vary depending on the subclass. The same is true for Rage and abilities related to that power. Some Skalds take more of a melee fighter build, others opt for ranged magical damage, but most builds tend to fall somewhere in between.

• Battle Scion. This subclass swaps out Battle Prowess for Bardic Knowledge and is intended as a martial class. This is the “Warrior Poet” character that combines courtly knowledge with a leadership position either at the head of government or an army.
• Battle Singer. A good choice for a ranged damage build, this Skald has increased powers with a special ability Battle Song but loses their Rage powers.
• Court Poet. Use a charismatic Skald of this subclass to control the crowd and support your party both in and out of combat.
• Demon Dancer. The ideal subclass for a combination of damage and support build, this Skald is focused mostly on casting, and although they lose most of their Rage powers they can still access Inspired Rage.
• Herald of the Horn. This Archetype is the embodiment of the old saying, “The voice is an instrument.” It’s a decent choice for those players looking for a combination of melee and ranged damage.
• Hunt Caller. As the name suggests, this Skald is connected to the power of nature. They lose some of their Rage-related abilities but instead get a bonus Feat and Wilderness Magic.

Prestige Classes And Multi-Classing Options

Multiclassing is when one character levels in two classes, and it’s not suited to every player or class. Players use multiclassing to give a character a special ability or power they wouldn’t normally have. One of the most common combinations is the Mage-Fighter, a handy way to give a Mage better armor and a Fighter spellcasting powers. A Rogue multiclass is a close second if a character wants locking picking or Stealth abilities.

In Dungeons & Dragons, players can dual-class their characters for a few levels to get the same benefit, but this practice doesn’t exist in the world of Pathfinder. The rules when it comes to ability scores are the same, however. A character can only multiclass if they have at least a 13 or more in the Ability Score that the second class uses the most. For example, if your Skald wants to multiclass into a Paladin, they have to have Ability Scores of 13 in both Strength and Charisma. A Skald is strong in these stats already so the combination makes sense. A Cleric multiclass would be less feasible because a Skald doesn’t prioritize Wisdom, the Cleric’s most important ability.

If a class can fill any role there aren’t many reasons left to multiclass them. The Skald is a composite of several other classes when it comes to their wide range, sharing abilities with the Barbarian, Bard, Bloodrager, and Paladin. The best multiclass options available would augment the powers the Skald already possesses, which in turn depends on the Archetype you choose. Prestige classes are another option to consider. These advanced classes are unique to Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and some of them might be a better choice for your Skald build than multiclassing.

Regular Classes

• Barbarian. Combine this with the Bard to get some extra Rage powers or to replace the ones you might have lost with your choice of Skald Archetype. This could be a melee or spellcasting damage build, just make sure that you have a fairly high Strength score.
• Cavalier. There are some common threads here, such as the Charisma-based abilities, plus you get a mount, which is always great.
• Cleric. Give your character access to a Domain and Divine Spells by combining them with a Cleric. An ideal choice for a healer build who also wants some melee abilities provided you have a Wisdom Ability Score of 13 or more.
• Druid. A decent combination with the Hunt Caller Archetype from an RP point of view. The Druid Archetype Feyspeaker uses Charisma-based abilities, making it an even better combination.
• Fighter. The class that combines with anything, augments the Skald’s abilities when it comes to weapons and armor with a bonus Combat Feat and Weapon Training. Ideal for a build focused on melee damage.
• Kineticist. The most important Ability Score for this class depends on the Archetype chosen, and the Overwhelming Soul uses Charisma. This is a nice way for a Skald to augment their capacity for damage with powers like Kinetic Blast and Infusion.
• Oracle. A good choice to give your Skald extra armor and healing abilities and other compelling class-specific features like Mystery. Plus, Oracles focus on Charisma as opposed to Wisdom, making them an easier choice than a Cleric.
• Paladin. A great choice for those who are building a more courtly Skald with better armor and more healing spells, the two classes have the same priorities when it comes to Ability Scores; Charisma and Strength.
• Ranger. Not all Skalds have to be on the front line, and this multiclass will give you more weapon and combat Skills along with Stealth abilities.
• Sorcerer. Give your Skald access to Metamagic by combing them with one of the game’s most powerful casting classes. Conveniently enough, Sorcerers are also spontaneous casters that rely on their Charisma score.
• Warpriest. A fighting version of the Cleric that focuses on damage as opposed to healing, this is another viable choice for a damage-based Skald build as long as you have a Wisdom score of 13 or better.
• Witch. The Witch has a lot of cool class-specific powers, like Hexes, and the Stigmatized Witch Archetype uses Charisma as their primary Ability Score, so it’s a decent choice for a casting build.

Prestige Classes

• Assassin. Only characters of an Evil Alignment can progress into this class. You also need a Stealth ability of five, which a Skald can acquire through a Feat or Background.
• Eldritch Knight. A great choice for a Skald Prestige class, especially a damage-based one that combines melee and casting damage. Skalds already have the abilities of Martial Weapons Proficiency and basic arcane spell knowledge.
• Duelist. Often associated with Bards, this Prestige Class is open to any character with Weapon Finesse and Mobility, which Skalds also possess. It’s an ideal choice for a damage-support build.
• Aldori Swordlord. For Skalds that want to be talented and renowned Fighters, this Prestige Class favors Intelligence and certain weapon proficiencies.
• Student of War. An obvious path for any class with some Arcane Knowledge, this is ideal for the Skald who wants to master battlefield control and party leadership.

Examples Of Skald Builds

The Power Of Song

• Party Role: Damage and Support, usually from a ranged distance.
• Ideal Race: Half-Elf or Human, both with resistance to magic or improved Will saves and buffs to Charisma or Strength if you so choose.
• Best Subclass: Battle Singer or Court Poet, both of which are focused on improving the Skald’s casting powers.
• Important Ability Scores: Charisma ekes out Strength here since this build is focused on ranged casting abilities as opposed to martial weapons prowess.

Courtly Defender

• Party Role: Defense and Healing Support
• Ideal Race: Aasimar or Oread, both with buffs to Strength and Charisma depending on your choice of Heritage.
• Best Subclass: Battle Scion
• Important Ability Scores: Strength is slightly more important than Charisma with this build since this character takes the role of a party leader, but it’s still a crucial stat as this type of Skald often has a noble position in society.

Musical And Martial Finesse

• Party Role: Damage, taking both ranged and melee roles.
• Ideal Race: Tiefling or Dhampir, partly thanks to the number of options available for Heritage choices that include bonuses to either Strength or Charisma or both.
• Best Subclass: Demon Dancer or Herald of the Horn
• Important Ability Scores: Focus on Charisma with this build, and try to buff up both Dexterity and Strength if possible. This Skald will favor finesse weapons as opposed to martial ones, which means they have to be light on their feet.