Colluding Scoundrel

Learn how to build and play the Colluding Scoundrel in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, focusing on its unique abilities like Scapegoat and Backstabber for tactical combat.

Alright, let's talk about the Colluding Scoundrel archetype in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. This one's all about manipulating enemies to focus on your allies while you and your animal companion set up some nasty surprise attacks. It's a pretty unique playstyle that can really mess with enemy AI if you use it right.

Here's a look at how she levels up and what makes her tick:

Let's break down those key abilities:

Scapegoat: This is your bread and butter. As a swift action, you can pick a willing ally to be the 'scapegoat.' For one minute, any enemy adjacent to that scapegoat has a really hard time attacking anyone else. They get a penalty to attack rolls against other targets, and if they try to cast a spell that doesn't hit the scapegoat or include them in the area, there's a 10% chance it'll just fizzle. This penalty starts at -2 to attack rolls, bumps up to -4 at level 8, and hits -6 at level 15. You can use this a number of times per day equal to your class level, which is pretty generous. The best part? You can make your animal companion the scapegoat without using up a daily charge. Talk about a loyal friend!

Backstabber: Kicking in at level 8, this ability lets you deal extra damage to enemies who are being targeted by your scapegoat. We're talking an extra 2d6 damage at level 8, which then jumps to 3d6 at level 15. Remember, this is precision damage, so it won't get multiplied when you crit, but it's still a significant chunk of extra hurt.

Master Backstabber: This is your capstone ability at level 20. As a standard action, you can make a special attack against an enemy who's currently suffering from your scapegoat penalty. If you hit, they have to make a Fortitude save (the DC is 20 + your Wisdom modifier) or, well, they die. Instant kill on a failed save – pretty epic way to finish things off!