Best Staunton Vhane Build in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

Staunton Vhane is one of the hardest companions to get throughout Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, as players don't find him until after he is dead. After recruiting him, players will need to put some work into his build. Staunton starts as a Warpriest, which can be an impeccable class if built correctly. Let's go over what is known about Staunton and how to improve him.

Base Stats of Staunton Vhane

Staunton Vhane doesn't become accessible to recruit until act four of the game, meaning that he will be at a fairly high level when players reach him. As an undead dwarf, he has some different stats from the standard dwarf and other living companions. Players should also keep in mind that he is lawful evil. Here are his base stats:

Staunton's Ability Stats

• Strength: 15 (+2)
• Dexterity: 18 (+4)
• Constitution: N/A
• Intelligence: 7 (-2)
• Wisdom: 14 (+2)
• Charisma: 12 (+1)

Warpriest Starting Skills

• Athletics
• Knowledge (World)
• Persuasion
• Lore (Religion)
• Knowledge (Arcane)

Warpriest Starting Feats

• Deity Selection
• Spontaneous Casting
• Weapon Focus
• Blessings
• Sacred Weapon

Staunton has no Constitution score due to him being undead. Due to this, he is very frail in comparison to most tank classes. Other than that, he is a 10th level Warpriest with no currently chosen specialization and a very low Intelligence score.

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What to Specialize Staunton Vhane in

For Warpriests, there are six total archetypes to choose from. These are Champion of Faith, Cult Leader, Feral Champion, Disenchanter, Shieldbearer, and Proclaimer. Each further specializes the Warpriest class by adding some bonus features and removing or penalizing some previous abilities.

As Staunton is naturally unable to be beefed up in any way as an undead, the best choice of archetype for him within the Warpriest class is the Cult Leader. The Cult Leader archetype adds more stealth and sneak attack potential to allow Staunton to sneak across the field with his clerical abilities. This does take away some of the bonus combat feats that the base class receives.

Cult Leader Level Progression

• First Level - Deity Selection, Spontaneous Casting, Well-Hidden, Blessings, Sacred Weapon
• Second Level - Fervor
• Third Level - Sneak Attack
• Fourth Level - Enthrall and Sacred Weapon
• Fifth Level - None
• Sixth Level - Bonus Feat and Sneak Attack
• Seventh Level - Sacred Armor
• Eighth Level - Sacred Weapon
• Ninth Level - Sneak Attack
• 10th Level - Sacred Armor
• 11th Level - None
• 12th Level - Sacred Weapon, Sneak Attack, and Hide in Plain Sight
• 13th Level - Sacred Armor
• 14th Level - None
• 15th Level - Sneak Attack
• 16th Level - Sacred Weapon and Sacred Armor
• 17th Level - None
• 18th Level - Bonus Feat and Sneak Attack
• 19th Level - Sacred Armor
• 20th Level - Aspect of War and Sacred Weapon

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Cult Leader Ability Descriptions

• Weapon and Armor Proficiency - Proficient with all simple weapons, hand crossbows, rapiers, shortbows, shortswords, light armor, and light shields.
• Hide in Plain Sight - Players can use stealth while being seen.
• Fervor - Warpriests can draw upon the power of his faith to heal wounds or harm foes. He can also use this ability to quickly cast Spells that aid in his struggles.
• Sacred Weapon - Weapons wielded by a Warpriest are charged with the power of his faith.
• Sacred Armor - This power grants the player's armor a +1 enhancement bonus. For every three levels beyond the seventh, this bonus increases by one (to a maximum of +5 at 19th level).
• Aspect of War - Once per day as a Swift Action, a Warpriest can treat his level as his base attack bonus and can move at his full speed regardless of the Armor he is wearing or his encumbrance.
• Sneak Attack - The Cult Leader will be able to strike for extra damage when they are either shrouded in stealth or when the target is flanked. The first level deals an extra 1d6 of damage, and each additional level of sneak attack adds an additional d6 of damage to the sneak attack.
• Enthrall - a Cult Leader can try to fascinate all enemies in 30ft radius.If the enemies fail their Will saving throw they are fascinated for a number of rounds equal to the player's Wisdom modifier.
• Well-Hidden - Gain a +2 on all stealth checks.

For more Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous content, be sure to check out Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Patch Notes (February 2022) on Pro Game Guides.