Not breaking at all. Heck, alchemists get to use crafting, and a class feat can be used to make Nature the skill check. You should probably look at Herbalist archetype for wording.

It seems like a good idea to me.

I completely ignore the activation action for magic ammunition. You are already spending an action to fire it, and burning money before finding out if it hits, and then there is usually a save after that.

Sparkling Targe seems the obvious answer to me, given that you have a natural weapon available. Starlit Span also works when using 1-handed range weapons.

That said, you can't generally use items for Spellstrikes, though there is a feat that lets you use scrolls.

The problem is that you don't cast directly, you activate the item, and that activation casts the spell for you.

The flow is spellstrike->cast->attack

An item is Active->cast(from item)

Spellstrike doesn't have the opportunity to activate an item, as that is a separate Action.

Mind, if I was your GM, I would allow it with a Tengu Feather Fan, as other races have innate spells, but not with other items. But you will need to talk with your GM about that.

My first thought is to make sure you start off with Amped Shield and use the block each turn if you would get hit, that gets you three turns of reducing the damage of one hit each turn. And buy scrolls / a wand of Mage Armor. You do not want to take up a Spell-Known slot for it.

Hmm, Automaton has reinforced chassis, but unless you were already planning on having a strength of 16+, that seems less than ideal.

A human can just simply grab armor proficiency at 1st level (Via General Training). If you really want to commit, spend your first general feat to then upgrade it to Medium armor. Watch that Strength requirement for armor though. You might be better off getting the toughness feat for that general feat. Ouch, just realized proficiency does not auto-scale from this feat.

Spending two class feats to get Mountain Stance seems expensive (martial Artist archetype -> Mountain Stance), but does stack with Mage armor.

1 class feat for Sentinal dedication gets you light & medium proficiency up to Expert.

You could be a Well Spring mage, then no one will want to be near you in case you blow up! (just kidding .... or am I?)

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Some of the rage powers make it a bit more complex, like a feat that lets you use a rage-tagged ability for free when you activate rage, etc.

Playing with free archetype almost inevitably requires making house rules to accommodate it. You level 4 issue can actually start at level 2, as there are sub-classes that can grant a multiclass dedication feat as a class feature, and at least 1 racial feat that can grant a multiclass dedication.

Wait, I posted ... Oh, it's you again. :) unfortunately I can't help here, I use a VTT, so I don't need an external builder.

Well, I suppose I could use one, but it feels easier to spin up the VTT if I want to play with builds. That's what I get for GMing and hosting

Another Foundry + A/V on discord.

I also use discord for game related threads.

I've recently discovered a similar program called Guilded, which seems to have all the same important creatures of discord, but better organized (and a larger file share limit). We have not moved over, but I've been spinning up and organizing a server there, just in case Discord craps the bed like Reddit did.

What other instances are you in? I've got a login in Mander and Beehaw as well.

Heh, I was confused a moment. Then I realized it was my doppelganger speaking for me once more. :P

points It's you! You are following me everywhere! conveniently ignores the fact that you were here first

Anyway, hello again my Australian doppelganger. :)