What's the best build for a critical hitter


Advice


I just bought my first game mastery deck today: critical hits. I'm also consequently building a mini-campaign for my daughters and one of them asked for help making someone who crits a lot (15-20 crit range; we're not too worried about the multiplier).

We're starting at 1st level, 20 pt buy. I was thinking 1/2 elf Rogue 1 (kinfe master) with a bonus exotic weapon proficiency (kukri) replacing Adaptability. Then give her 2 weapon fighting as her 1st level feat. She'd be making 2 attacks with 18-20 crit ranges and hopefully down the road we'd get a way to make them Keen.

Is there something I'm missing to either enhance the crit range, utility of the crit or otherwise capitalize on crits in general?

Dark Archive RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

Mark Hoover wrote:
Is there something I'm missing to either enhance the crit range, utility of the crit or otherwise capitalize on crits in general?

Fighters get earlier access to feats like Critical Focus and have exclusive access to Critical Mastery, which allows you to apply two critical feats to a single crit. Plus, with weapon specialization and weapon training both being multiplied on crits, you're going to be dealing a lot more damage (and hitting more often) with a fighter.

Of course, you don't get that sweet, sweet sneak attack damage... but a pair of kukri or a double scimitar (from the Eberron campaign setting in 3rd ed.) will get you some nice crit ranges. Also, kukri aren't exotic. They're martial, and a fighter gets those proficiencies for free so you could go with human and get ANOTHER feat on top of that.


I thought I would leave this here:

Exotic Weapon:
Falcata (1d8 19-20/x3 1-handed) Found in Advance Player's Guide

Sure it doesn't have that cool scimitar 18-20, but x3!

Sczarni

Remember the Rogue's Sneak Attack does not multiply on a critical hit.

So really if she wants to hit a lot she should play a ful BAB class.

Fighters, Paladins and Rangers all have proficiency in Kukri's so you get to save a feat.

Each of them has additional static damage that they can add to the hits and it gets multiplied on critical hits.

I did the numbers a while back comparing Ranger to Fighter and I believe the Ranger's "Favoured Enemy" bonus out paces the Fighters "Weapon Training & Specialization" until at least level 11 or so.

A Ranger also has the option of selecting the TWF style and he or she does not have to meet the DEX pre-reqs for the feat chain - meaning they can pump their STR or CON or any other stat higher then a comparable fighter would.

A Ranger also gets 6 skill point per level and can take arcetypes that will give them Trap Finding.

If she wants to maximize her damage output look at Ranger/Fighter/Paladin. The bonus feat from being Human is always a nice bonus too!

If she wants to be a Rogue I think the Scout arcetype also stacks with Knifemaster and should present her more opportunities to sneak attack.

There is also a trait called "River Rat" that gives +1 bonus to damage with daggers - she could ask her GM to rule it applues to Kukri's instead... If she did all her chores without complaint for 1 week I'd probably allow it.

Cheers!

D

Sovereign Court

1/2 Orc Inquistor with a Keen Falchion and Nethys's Magic Domain... (or Cleric of Nethys or Universalist Wizard - true stike it!)

Cuz hurling a huge curved sword with a 15-20 crit range and having it come back to you is just... sweet.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I would suggest using improved crit rather than keen but otherwise that's all there is really.

Not sure what direction you are going with multiple crits though. I would suggest avoiding crit feats that would be negated entirely with a save. By the that level mobs will make their saves 95%.

Kukri's are the way to go for a knife master but since sneak attacks are not multiplied by crit.

Try looking at the Dervish classes.

To really go crazy with crit look for AoO combinations.

A few of my favorite combinations are

1) The tripper rogue or bard (fun but not as relevant to the crit concept)

2) Shield slamming Pally or fighter (You hit so you get to slam and you slam so you get a free bull rush and then an AoO for you and your allies for the bull rush. Scimitar + Large Shield. Drawback is the build doesn't start pulling together until 6th lv or so.

3) Swordlord. Add "In Harms Way" and a flanking buddy and some flanking teamwork feats and watch what happens. A swordlord that gets hit will get an AoO and teamwork would give an AoO to the buddy. If the mob decides to attack the buddy the swordlord can elect to be hit in place of her buddy...and the cycle continues. Unlike the bull rush of the Pally mentioned above you would be looking at disarm but to similar effect.

4) My favorite crit stomping crazy is hands down the Invulnerable rager. Massive damage multiplied by a good crit range. Greater Beast Totem's pounce and "Come and Get Me" make for AoO madness. An Invulnerable rager will get hit 95% but that's what she wants. AoOs that hit hard and hit before getting hit herself will spell the end for many enemies before their hits land. Further, good pairing of players can make a easy 3 man wrecking crew (assuming player 3 is a cleric).

5) Alternatively you can look at increasing your multiplier using the cavalier's charge with a lance. I would recommend the sword oath for Talking Dino mount pouncing crit crazyness. One strike with a lance is painful (4x as a cavalier and later 5x). Combine 4 and 5 and now you get a full attack with your lance with sickening dmg output. Oh and your dino mount gets their full attack too.

You may want to tone down the last two just a bit so one player doesn't outshine the others.


Keen Weapon will double crit range from 18-20 to 15-20.

If she'd be happy with a pole arm -- you can get reach AND trip with a Fauchard... it's an exotic weapon (look it up online at archives of Nethys if you don't have the ultimate weapon guide or whatever it is that has it)

Kukri doesn't always work into all settings, and they are soooooo 2011. Fauchard is the new Kukri.

Sczarni

I'd say she should play a fighter instead of rogue. She wouldn't need a feat to be proficient with the kukri, so she could take TWF and Weapon Focus(kukri) as her first two feats. The full BAB means she'll qualify for Improved Critical sooner too.


I'm surprised no one has suggested a dervish dance magus yet. At level 5, you can enhance your +1 scimitar to become a +2 keen scimitar (giving it the 15-20 threat range). A friend of mine plays an elf with the kensai archetype and he is getting critical threat all the time.

With spell combat and the Arcane Mark trick, you will be rolling pretty much the same as if you were dual wielding. There is also shocking grasp to really add in punch when you need to (last session, my friend crit on a shocking grasp spellstrike and did 54 damage in a single hit, not too shabby at 5th level).

Plus being dex based and with canny defense he has better AC than the pally in full plate in our party.

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