How To Build Loki in The Pathfinder RPG

When Marvel Comics brought superhero movies into the 21st century it sent shock waves through the world of entertainment, and smashed records into smithereens. The films also brought many of Marvel's flagship characters into the mainstream, including Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, the Black Widow, and Thor. Along with Thor came his brother Loki, the god of mischief and lies. A villain who could have been a hero in his own right, Loki is usually one step ahead of everyone else. For players who want to be slick, sly, and clever it's easier than you think to bring the prodigal son of Asgard to your Pathfinder game.

If you'd like to see the rest of the Avengers, as well as character builds for Gotham City's vigilantes and the cast of Game of Thrones, then check out the Character Conversions page on Improved Initiative! Additionally, if you're looking for more articles about general geekery and tabletop gaming, along with weird history and other niche interests, check out my full Vocal archive!

Also, have you ever wondered why superheroes (and villains) dress like they just stepped out of a circus? Check out Why Do Superheroes Wear Their Underwear on The Outside?, and wonder no more!

The Foundation (Attributes, Race, and Traits)

The Loki of Marvel comics fame is a frost giant. Adopted by Odin, Loki's nature was hidden from him until he discovered he'd been living a lie. The mythical Loki on the other hand was one of the only fire giants mentioned in Norse myth. Fire represented wit and cleverness, and if left unchecked it would consume and destroy. This build suggests neither and both of these at the same time.

The best fit for Loki both mechanically and thematically is the tiefling; specifically the Rakshasa variant. This variant provides a +2 to dexterity and a +2 to charisma, as well as a -2 to wisdom. What is more fitting for the god of it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time? It also provides access to the skills Disguise and Sense Motive (both useful things to have), as well as the use of detect thoughts as a spell-like ability instead of darkness. This race also gives Loki resistance to fire, cold, and electricity, perhaps just to spite his brother.

As far as attributes go Loki has more use for Dexterity, Charisma, and Intelligence than for the others. While he isn't known for his toughness, he is a giant, so Constitution shouldn't be his dump stat. Strength isn't primary, but it is useful to have all the same.

Given how complex Loki is as a character, picking traits for him can be difficult. Magical Knack (+2 to your caster level up to your total character level) is a great trait for balancing out the caster level problems multi-classing incurs. Dangerously Curious (+1 on use magic device, and u.m.d is always a class skill for you) is also a useful trait, since it sums up both Loki's personality as well as his use of magical items. Traits like Convincing Liar (+1 trait bonus to Bluff or Intimidate, and whichever you pick is always a class skill for you), as well as Charming (+1 trait bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and the DC of language dependent spells cast on someone who could be sexually attracted to the caster) are equally good choices.

Extravagance (Classes)

Loki possesses a wide array of abilities, and he's proven himself readily adaptable to a number of situations. That said, he is an amalgamation of magic and guile that can be best realized through the Arcane Trickster prestige class (Core Rulebook 377), though some might instead want to go the eldritch scoundrel (Arcane Anthology) route if they prefer a rogue archetype that gets wizard spellcasting for a single class progression. For the former option, all someone needs is 3 levels of rogue and 4 levels of sorcerer to enter the prestige class; this covers the 4 ranks of Disable Device, Escape Artist, and Knowledge Arcana, as well as 2d6 of sneak attack and the ability to cast mage hand in addition to at least 1 second level spell. Players should choose their bloodline carefully, but the Silver Tongue ability of the Rakshasa bloodline (Ultimate Magic 68) makes it a slam dunk with the ability to add a +5 to a Bluff check, and to make it more difficult for other people to force you to tell the truth. As far as the Rogue Talent, Fast Stealth is one of the more useful ones, but players can choose whatever they wish.

Arcane Trickster fulfills Loki's theme in a way that few other builds do. It provides decent skill ranks (4+Int modifier) per level, a long list of skills, it continues offering effective levels of spellcasting, and it provides unique abilities like Impromptu Sneak Attack as well as Tricky Spells (the ability to declare an attack a sneak attack and ignore verbal or somatic components on a whim respectively). Arcane Tricksters are extremely adaptable, and are a force to be reckoned with under any circumstances.

Capabilities (Skills and Feats)

Loki's skills are diverse, but this build should focus on what the player needs. Disable Device (for getting into and out of tricky spots), Knowledge (arcana) [for that rare lore about ancient powers], and Escape Artist (because being tied up makes life difficult) are necessary investments (though the last may be impractical past the 4 ranks required unless you're going to use it to escape grapples from large, angry, green enemies). Loki should also have both Bluff and Diplomacy at their highest ranks (for obvious reasons), and Intimidate is also a useful skill (for those who remember his speech to the Black Widow in Avengers). Stealth is a given, and Disguise can be useful unless a player plans to use magic to affect a disguise instead of more mundane means. Acrobatics is useful for getting away, and Sleight of Hand is something that every Loki build should have, especially since the Arcane Trickster allows for its use at range. Use Magic Device is a requirement, particularly since it's a Charisma-based skill. Spellcraft is also important (since it's useful to know what enemies are casting), and it's key to identifying magic items.

How many skills and what focus a player decides varies on what Intelligence score he or she chose, as well as whether their Loki has become a hero, a villain, or if he is still going through his fall from grace.

Feats for Loki vary, but magical and skill feats will generally be what players find most helpful. Skill Focus (Core Rulebook 134) is great for providing bonuses on any skill, for those who want to get the most out of their checks. Other skill feats like Deceitful (Core Rulebook 121) help with disguise and bluff. Feats like Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus (Core Rulebook 134 and 125) are essential for making sure that enemies make their saves as rarely as possible. For damage dealing spells it's a good idea to invest in Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration (Core Rulebook 134 and 125), as well as Varisian Tattoo (Inner Sea World Guide 289) which increases your effective caster level by school.

One feat that's worth special attention is Accomplished Sneak Attacker (Dirty Tactics Toolbox). This feat adds 1d6 to your sneak attack, provided that doesn't raise it above half your character level. You never know when a dagger, or a spell, can hit in just the right place to turn the tide of a fight.

With so many options it's important to ask what your Loki is going to focus on, and make sure it's a viable strategy in your particular campaign. Will you focus on mundane trickery? Illusion magic? Enchantment? Once you've chosen your weapon of choice, make it count.

Spells

Magic is going to be key to Loki's abilities, and sorcerers only get a select number of spells. Most of Loki's magic tends to be illusion or enchantment, and early spell selections like charm person (Core Rulebook 254), disguise self (Core Rulebook 271), and anything that can create a false double or protect Loki like mirror image (Core Rulebook 314) or minor image (Core Rule Book 314) are always good choices for spell selection.

When it comes to Loki's magic it's less about which specific spells a player chooses, and more about how the player uses them. For Loki magic isn't about incinerating his opponents or leaving them frozen in a permanent ice prison (well, most of the time). It's about misdirection, distraction, and making his enemies fight each other while keeping himself out of harm's way as much as he can. For instance, players who can charm enemies into fighting one another, or get those enemies to stand aside and let the party pass without harm, are sort of what the concept is all about. Not all enemies can be affected by charms and illusions, though. That's why it's important to select at least a few battlefield control spells like obscuring mist (Core Rulebook 317), as well as spells that create walls to trap enemies and provide safety. Invisibility is Loki's best friend as well, particularly when it comes time to sneak away undetected while a decoy pretends to stand and fight.

Your Legend (Equipment and Story)

Loki, like all adventurers, will benefit greatly from getting his hands on the right equipment. A cloak of resistance (Core Rulebook 507) is always a good choice, as are bracers of armor (Core Rulebook 504). However, to really play into Loki's themes, it's a good idea to have items like a ring of invisibility (Core Rulebook 481), dust of tracelessness (Core Rulebook 510), or even really expensive items like the boots of teleportation (Core Rulebook 504). Any scrolls or wands that can save Loki's personal magic for when it's needed are also great investments, especially if they're for spells he doesn't normally have access to, but might want in a pinch.

For those imitating Marvel's Loki down to the details though, one of the most important items to have is a rod of rulership (Core Rulebook 488). It allows for the rulership of up to 300 hit dice worth of creatures at a time, though intelligent creatures do get a save against the effect. While this scepter has a limited amount of time it can be used, 500 minutes total, it is certainly a thematically powerful item.

It's important to reiterate at this point that there will always be players who have different ideas and desires for how they'd like to play their version of a concept. Some players might think the Elemental bloodline is truer to Loki's myth and heritage, and that illusion and evocation spells would be a better combination. Others might think playing a straight sorcerer rather than diluting it with rogue and arcane trickster would be preferable. Remember; no player is wrong.

The only truly dumb decision a player can make when putting together a character is not to look ahead. This is particularly true with a multi-class character. Every skill choice, every feat, every spell learned should be a puzzle piece that fits into a complete image. Players should know what they can do at level one as well as at level ten or twenty, and they should be aware of what the holes in their strategy are. For instance, Loki's extremely low BAB means that he isn't going to mix it up well in combat, but if he's fighting someone immune to his spells, or if he's out of magic, then what does he do? What does a character focused on illusion and enchantment spells do when facing undead? Or when trying to deal with constructs? These are all questions that players need to ask themselves.

Remember, there's a counter to everything. No matter how stealthy someone is or how high a spell DC is, there's a foil. Players who expect their bags of tricks to never run dry often find that when they least expect it they run into something they didn't plan for.

Lastly, if you're looking for inspiration for your Loki's story (and what might be driving him forward in his ambitions), you might find some of the following supplements to be of interest:

- 100 Tieflings To Meet in Your Travels: If you want your Loki to take on alternate identities so he can pass without being noticed, some of the tieflings in this collection might work well for your persona.

- 100 Prisoners For a Fantasy Jail: Whether your Loki was thrown in the tank like a common criminal, or kept under arcane lock and key in an elite facility, he may have friends, rivals, or a history. This collection could fill in some of those gaps nicely.

- A Baker's Dozen of Noble Families: Whether your Loki is running a con to pass as a member of a particular household, or he was legitimately adopted and raised as a member of a particular house, these 13 clans come complete with histories, sigils, colors, and secrets.