Could you please provide more details about what you're asking? Switch hitting is a pretty vague term on its own. There are just too many possible answers to get into without knowing more.
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Could you please provide more details about what you're asking? Switch hitting is a pretty vague term on its own. There are just too many possible answers to get into without knowing more.
Oh, I thought switch hitting was when you are good at both range and melee, instead of specializing in one.
The issues I see are being feat starved, less damage and attack, splitting primary stats, weapon choice, and some other things. So, how do you do it and how do you do it well?
Switch hitting was better before pure archery builds were beefed up with things like Point Blank Master and Clustered Shots. Switch hitting still works as well as it did when the game was new but if you have archery feats there's really not much point in dropping your bow for a sword.
With clustered shots and the ability to pick up point blank master at level 6 (as a ranger or slayer) there is very little reason to play a switch hitter. You will do more damage with archery, and you you're still as tough as a switch hitter. You can be in melee and fire your bow without penalty. It's just unnecessary to try to do both.
The math won't look as fancy, but in play archery has unparalleled DPR due to being able to make a full attack every round.
If you're a Barbarian, Raging Charge is pretty great. "While raging and making a charge attack, the barbarian may draw and throw a hurled weapon during her charge, gaining the normal +2 attack roll bonus on the thrown weapon attack as well as on the melee attack at the end of the charge. The barbarian must move at least 10 feet before using a thrown weapon and at least 10 additional feet before making a melee attack at the end of her charge. The barbarian must have a thrown weapon in hand or have one hand free at the beginning of her charge. A barbarian must have the lesser hurling rage power to select this rage power. A barbarian must be at least 6th level to select this rage power."
The Swashbuckler has an archetype devoted to combining melee and firearms — the Picaroon. They hold a light weapon in one hand and a one-handed firearm in the other and can have a great time. At level 11, they can spend panache to reload their gun as a free action that doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity, so long as they are also using either the Rapid Reload feat or alchemical charges. This means they are fully viable at both melee and ranged combat in the same round almost all the time (a well-played swash rarely runs out of panache).
A Samurai can be pretty good at shooting enemies while riding their mount in circles around them, and of course they are great in melee combat as well.
A regular Druid can cast spells from afar, then use Beast Shape in melee to great effect.
It's true that a character who focuses on one thing can become better at it than someone who dabbles in two areas, but sometimes you face an opponent who is almost immune to your 'main thing' so it's handy to have another trick up your sleeve. Opening a door while brandishing a blunderbuss is always fun, even if you intend on dropping it as soon as you've fired it once, then pick it up after the fight. These suggestions are by no means exhaustive.
The math won't look as fancy, but in play archery has unparalleled DPR due to being able to make a full attack every round.
Indeed, archery dpr is big because of being able to make a full attack every round if you want. Even better with a ranger, is having a mount to ride (and move you) and allow you to still make a full attack each round.
Once Instant Enemy comes online you're looking at +8 from Favored Enemy, the damage bonus from Deadly Aim, a slight bonus from Strength, and weapon enhancement. You're individual hit damage wont be as much as a two handed fighter. But, you'll get more attacks and get to make all of them every round.
It's deceiving, but archery is one of the best combat styles in the game.
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A previous poster opined that only full BAB types make good switch hitters. I don't believe that is true. Quite a few 3/4 BAB classes can switch hit effectively. For example, a melee inquisitor with a decent Dex can carry a now and use it to start combats at range before switching to hisprimary melee style or use it to attack does he doesn't want to close range with. Between bane, divine favor, wrath, and judgments, he can put out serious damage with a now with minimal feat and equipment investment. A rogue or ninja can likewise carry a ranged weapon to get full attack sneak attacks if they win init in the first round before switching to melee. Magical types can also be switch hitters. An Eldritch knight might use spells at range and switch to melee when foes close. Archer clerics are also good bets to switch hit since their buffs apply both ways and they don't have the feats and BAB for point blank master, etc. they may also have bad touch or negative channel options for close in work. That is switch hitting too.
I see. What about gunslinger dpr vs archery?
Gunslingers can output more damage, but requires a lot of shenanigans to accomplish that borders on cheesy. If you remove double barrel weapons, and don't know how to achieve free action realoads firearms are significantly worse.
At distance, which honestly doesn't come up much, a bow is better because of the increased ranged and your character will be used to dealing with full AC instead of touch. But it's hard to beat the damage potential of a dual wielding double barreled pistols.
Of course, many GMs ban a lot of firearms stuff because of how much stupid damage they can out put.
Personally, I got rid of the touch AC mechanic and the misfire chance.
The Savage Technologist Barbarian can work in any setting and it's one of the most fun switch hitters I've played.
Being a human for the extra feat helps, as it is quite feat reliant.
However, it's also a great defensive modification for the barb.
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I see. What about gunslinger dpr vs archery?Gunslingers can output more damage, but requires a lot of shenanigans to accomplish that borders on cheesy. If you remove double barrel weapons, and don't know how to achieve free action realoads firearms are significantly worse.
At distance, which honestly doesn't come up much, a bow is better because of the increased ranged and your character will be used to dealing with full AC instead of touch. But it's hard to beat the damage potential of a dual wielding double barreled pistols.
Of course, many GMs ban a lot of firearms stuff because of how much stupid damage they can out put.
Personally, I got rid of the touch AC mechanic and the misfire chance.
Great, I'll bring my gun scavenger. Better hope you don't put all the enemies in a 40'-80' cone :P
The gun scavenger probably isn't going to be as good as you think it is.
Losing the quick clear deed combined with the inability to reduce misfire chance to 0 means when you misfire you're basically done with combat.
It's also only better to wield guns really if you dual wield or use double barreled weapons. If you're not using those your damage output will probably be about equal. But much more expensive than archery.
Side note: being able to shoot and slash is imo more fun than being an expert in only one combat style. I really love playing my martial master arcane archer switch hitter although a straith archer or barbarian has a higher damage output.
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The gun scavenger probably isn't going to be as good as you think it is.
Losing the quick clear deed combined with the inability to reduce misfire chance to 0 means when you misfire you're basically done with combat.
It's also only better to wield guns really if you dual wield or use double barreled weapons. If you're not using those your damage output will probably be about equal. But much more expensive than archery.
I was joking about your games that remove misfire
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I was expecting a thread about a bi-sexual character.
Boo.
I umpteenth Human ranger/fighter.
It is just not possible to be optimized for both melee and ranged attacks. What makes a switch hitter possible is class abilities and tactics that allow you become decent at one approach without significantly impacting the other. Treantmonk's switch hitting ranger works because his tactics and the ranger's ability to skip feat requirements means that he can do effective damage through archery for one round and still have the feats needed to be tough in melee for the rest of the battle. Currently my favorite switch hitter is a Myrmidarch Magus.
The Myrmidarch makes a nice switch hitter who delivers one massively damaging shot in the opening round before charging into melee. Like Treantmonk's switch-hitting ranger you don't need Precise Shot because you never fire into melee. There is no need to invest in feats like Rapid Shot or Manyshot because they won't work with Ranged Spellstrike anyway. Without those feats, you also don't need to pay the feat tax that is Point-Blank Shot. At first the only feat you need specifically for your ranged attacks is a Reach Spell.
For the first few levels, you focus on Dex-based melee: Fencing Grace, Dervish Dance, etc. Then at 4th level you get Ranged Spellstrike. This lets you can add a ranged touch spell to your shot, and Reach Spell will let you turn touch attack spells like Shocking Grasp into ranged touch attack spells. Later you can use the usual Magical Lineage technique to memorize Intensified Reach Shocking Grasps using second level spell slots. On a critical hit you will eventually deliver 20d6 electrical damage with a single ranged attack. Or you can use various Rays to debuff or Disintegrate your opponents
I like using a heavy crossbow with Tanglebolts. The entanglement is great and the Seeking enhancement compensates for my lack of Improved Precise Shot. Also the crossbow has a threat range of 19-20. I also keep a throwing dagger or two handy, just in case the opportunity for a ranged attack opens up during melee.
A Myrmidarch has a ridiculous number of options for increasing to hit and damage for ranged attacks, and many of them can be used with melee attacks as well. The overlap is one of the reasons why this build can work.
Swift Actions
-Arcane Pool to add a variety of enhancements
-Arcane Strike (eventually +5 damage; Gloves of Arcane Striking lets you also deal that damage to those adjacent to your victims)
-The Arcane Accuracy Arcana (add your Int bonus to hit)
Non-actions
-Weapon Training (eventually up to +3 to hit and damage; Gloves of Dueling can increase this by +2)
-Deadly Aim (eventually -4 to hit and +8 damage)
-Fighter Training lets you get feats like Greater Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, and Greater Weapon Specialization
Spells
-Magic Weapon (+1 to hit and damage)
-Greater Magic Weapon (eventually +5 to hit and damage)
-Keen Edge can increase the threat range of your bolts, arrows, or daggers
-The Spell Blending Arcana can get you access to other archery-related spells like Gravity Bow
Also the Myrmidarch's Armor Training lets you wear better armor without sacrificing speed or losing as much Dex bonus to AC.
A lot of people avoid the Myrmidarch because the higher level multiple-attack version of Ranged Spellstrike is written so badly that it seems useless. But I have really enjoyed playing a switch-hitter Myrmidarch without ever using that ability. I am considering dipping a couple of levels in Arcane Archer, though. That would allow me to deliver area spells through Imbue Arrow as well.