Getting the most out of TWFing using gestalt and custom feat tax rules

[Sixteenbiticon]

I want to preface this by saying that we have a very lenient GM who has encouraged us to try to be as powerful as possible because he is running us through a Pathfinderized version of Savage Tide and pulling no punches. Also, I apologize for the psychobabble you're about to read.

Originally, I was going to make an archer using the gestalt class combo of ranger/inquisitor. But the more I think about it, the more I want to try to get a TWF build to work. Here are a few key points:

• 25 point-buy and stats are capped at 20 after racial.
  
• Unlike most APs, Savage Tide goes all the way to level 20.
  
• We are using these feat tax house rules which means I don't need to take power attack/piranha strike(GM addition), weapon finesse, or improved two weapon fighting.
  
• I really like the thought behind this build and would like to expand upon it.
  
• With this class combo I get d10 HPs as well as good in all three saves. That is a synergy I would prefer to keep intact if possible.
  
• A keystone teamwork feat I would like to build off of is blades above and below from inner sea races paired with my large animal companion. It is for this reason that I would love to work sneak attacks into my build.
  
• For alternate build ideas, I'd really like to stay away from barbarian or monk since they don't fit the flavor of my character (and flavor has to count for something, right?).
  
• The rest of the party is an aasimar oradin, a human swash/sorc, and a dwarven musket master/inquisitor.

I apologize for not being as organized as most posters, as I feel like I'm struggling to grasp all of the potential options here. Here are a few points I am undecided on.

• I can supplement the attack penalty from power attack/piranha strike with favored enemy, bane, and teamwork feats. So... Strength or dex? I feel like I should go strength, simply because I can't get dex to damage with twfing, and I can ignore dex requirements due to combat style feats.
  
• Kukri? Shortsword? Something else?
  
• If I get animal companion through inquisitor's animal domain, that could free me up to go inquisitor/slayer or inquisitor/rogue. I can also potentially get combat style feats through slayer.
  
• Along that same line of thought, is it worth giving up some judgments for studied target/SA in sanctified slayer? If I get SA progression that way, I would stay ranger. Or possibly fighter? Something else?
  
• Is this build looking too situational? Blades above and below, bane, favored enemy, sneak attacks... Should I be going for a more consistent approach?

I'm probably forgetting one or fifty things, but I appreciate any help you can give. I understand there are a lot of variables here. Help me make sense of them before I drown in character options.

[SmiloDan]

I was going to suggest paladin//ninja, but a hunter or slayer//inquisitor might work too.

[Sixteenbiticon]

Yeah, I think I'm leaning towards slayer over ranger since sneak attack is much less situational than favored enemy. I'll be losing lead blades, but if I plan on using kukris, then lead blades is a negligible damage increase.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?

[SmiloDan]

Wakizashis are light 18-20/x2 that do 1d6 dmg.

[johnnythexxxiv]

Wakizashis require a feat tax though, so not really the best choice. Kukris work just fine. Keep in mind that as a ranger at 10th or 11th level you'll gain access to instant enemy which makes favored enemy far less situational. By that level you'll be able to afford a pearl of power or two to keep it up every fight, so it becomes a matter of whether you'd prefer higher damage spikes with a slayer or more consistent damage with the ranger. Of course, with sanctified slayer you could get the best of both worlds but judgments really are leagues ahead of sneak attack dice so the trade off isn't worth it.

[GM Runescarred Dragon]

If you're going sneak attack, I'd look into Improved Two-weapon feint.

Seriously consider going Investigator on your medium BAB side. Studied Target is as good as Smite Evil for damage. Avoid using Studied Strike like the plague though, it's bad and it should feel bad.

[SmiloDan]

Tengu get wakizashis for free, as can some flavors of half-elf.

[Atarlost]

Pounce will help a lot. I'd suggest Urban Barbarian//Investigator.

Urban Barbarian removes the restrictions on what skills you can use in rage and lets you rage to dex if that's your attack and damage stat. Investigator gets you reflex and will saves, extracts, and unlimited uses of studied combat.

Most importantly, you get pounce. You really want to have pounce. Also dragon style. With so many feats free you can take improved unarmed strike at 3rd and dragon style at 5th easily.

You could get pounce through primalist bloodrager or skald, but only two levels later than barbarian and bloodrager can't escape the skill restrictions. Neither has a rage to dexterity option either. You could also use UnBarbarian and get pounce at level 10, but again can't escape the action restriction.

If your GM will let an urban barbarian use studied target and drink extracts while raging that's going to be your best option. Otherwise you need to settle for something like Skald//Slayer. Skalds have no action restrictions while using raging song, but they need to spend an action starting their raging song.

[Sixteenbiticon]

As I mentioned in my original post, barbarian does not match with the flavor of my character and is therefore not an option. But I appreciate the time and effort you put into your response. Thank you for that.

Another player has been helping me come up with a build that is slightly outside of the norm of what I was considering, but I do like it. It is a hunter/slayer concept that utilizes dual kukris. Hunter tactics give the animal companion all teamwork feats allowing me to always flank through pack flanking. This build deals damage by crits, sneak attack die, rends, and lots of bleeds. Animal focus provides a good buff that doesn't use up combat actions.

I want to go with big cat for more attacks which means more chances to crit to afford me an instant AoO (via outflank) with my sneak attack dice. I haven't got around to looking into my options with monstrous companion. Suggestions welcome. At 12 use coordinated charge to get full attacks. I oni-spawn tiefling for the str/wis among the other nice racial benefits. Here is the build:

18 STR
15 DEX
14 CON
10 INT
16 WIS
6 CHA

Level 1: Two weapon fighting
Level 2 Precise Companion: Outflank
Level 2: Slayer talent: RCS: Double slice
Level 3: Weapon Focus (kukri)
Level 3 Teamwork: Pack flanking
Level 4: Slayer Talent: Trapfinding
Level 5: Monstrous Companion
Level 6 Teamwork: Precise strike
Level 6: Slayer talent: RCS Greater TWF
Level 7: Toughness? Feat suggestions welcome
Level 8: Slayer Talent: Combat training
Level 9: Critical Focus
Level 9 Teamwork: Tribe Mentality? Suggestions welcome
Level 10: Slayer talent: RCS Two weapon rend
Level 11: Bleeding Critical
Level 12 Teamwork: Coordinated Charge
Level 12 Slayer talent: Evasion
Level 13: Rending Fury
Level 14 Slayer talent: Powerful sneak
Level 15: Improved Rending Fury
Level 15 Teamwork: Scarred Legion
Level 16 Slayer talent: Bleeding Attack
Level 17: Greater Rending Fury
Level 18 Teamwork: Shake it off
Level 18 Slayer talent: Evasion
Level 19: Sneaking Precision
Level 20: slayer talent: ???

All advice, criticsms, suggestions welcome.

[Sixteenbiticon]

That should be slayer talent combat training (improved critical) at 8th.

[Sixteenbiticon]

Ugh, missed that edit deadline twice. Damnit.

That should be slayer talent combat trick (improved critical) at 8th. I also noticed that I have evasion twice, so that will have to be remedied.

I am now working on modifying this build to go 3 levels of UC rogue then switching to slayer. This will allow me to get dex to damage and dump str. It will also allow me to switch to garuda-blooded aasimar which suits my tastes more than tiefling.

[Sixteenbiticon]

I finally ironed out all of the kinks of this build so here are the results. I went with a 3 level UC Rogue dip to get dex to damage, trapfinding, and evasion. I also realized that I had enough freedom to go two-weapon fighting switch-hitter and am very happy with how it turned out.

Garuda-blooded aasimar hunter/uc rogue/slayer

10 Str
20 Dex
14 Con
10 Int
16 Wis
8 Cha

SA1 BAB 0 Hu/UCR(1) 1: Two weapon fighting
BAB 1 Hu/UCR(2) 2: Precise Companion: Outflank, Rogue talent: weapon training: weapon focus (kukri)
SA2 BAB 2 Hu/UCR(3) 3: Quick Draw, Finesse Training (kukri), Teamwork: Pack flanking
BAB 3 Hu/Sla(1) 4:
BAB 4 Hu/Sla(2) 5: Double slice, Slayer talent: RCS: Rapid Shot
SA3 BAB 5 Hu/Sla(3) 6: Teamwork: Precise strike
BAB 6 Hu/Sla(4) 7: Greater Two Weapon Fighting, Slayer Talent: Combat training (Improved Critical (kukri))
BAB 7 Hu/Sla(5) 8:
SA4 BAB 8 Hu/Sla(6) 9: Feat __________, Teamwork: Escape Route, Slayer talent: RCS Manyshot
BAB 9 Hu/Sla(7) 10:
BAB 10 Hu/Sla(8) 11: Critical Focus, Slayer talent: Saving Study
SA5 BAB 11 Hu/Sla(9) 12: Teamwork: Coordinated Charge
BAB 12 Hu/Sla(10) 13: Two Weapon Rend, Slayer talent: RCS Improved Precise Shot
BAB 13 Hu/Sla(11) 14:
SA6 BAB 14 Hu/Sla(12) 15: Bleeding Critical, Teamwork: Target of Opportunity, Slayer talent: Defensive Study
BAB 15 Hu/Sla(13) 16:
BAB 16 Hu/Sla(14) 17: Feat __________, Slayer talent: Greater Defensive Study
SA7 BAB 17 Hu/Sla(15) 18 Teamwork: Shake it off
BAB 18 Hu/Sla(16) 19: Sneaking Precision, Slayer talent: Bleeding Attack
BAB 19 Hu/Sla(17) 20:

The "study" line of slayer talents is 3rd party and GM-approved. I never realized how terrible most of the slayer talents were until building this character. I've got two undecided feat slots so any recommendations are welcome. Feats I am considering are toughness, iron will, or animal soul.