So I'm gonna be needing a primarily ranged character, but it looks like most of the suggested builds for ranged characters basically boil down to "full-attack every round".
Are there any good/decent/even situationally useful ranged builds that have more interesting options available to them? Anything to switch things up occasionally.
What I find interesting about range builds I enjoy is what else they can do. Stalkers can scout and infilitrate, rangers can scout and hug trees, fighters can, okay just fight.
For more interesting combat styles, a build centering on the snap shot chain has a fun trick, and then there is funky ammo/ weapons like slaver crossbows, tangle shot arrows, smoke arrows and such.
The Marksman and the Hunter on my Fighter builds have interesting options I'd say.
Are you tied to traditional ranged weapons (ie: bows), or are you open to anything that lets you attack at ranged? I mean...if you are willing to accept something more magical, there are all sorts of things you can do with kineticists.
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Try a human evangelist cleric of Erastil/ketephys.
Get a large cat or ankylosaurs or t-rex animal companion. You can buff your party, and the large cat or T-rex should be quite competitive grapplers once they pick up the grapple chain. Ankylosaurus force fort save on hit or target is dazed for 1 round. Should be plenty entertaining.
A primary range character does not need to have full bab=)
While I know that there are feats for it now, the archer fighter archtype lets you do some combat maneuvers at range with your bow dip 2 lvls in Grendidier alchemist and you can attached alchemist fire to your arrows, get a hybridization funnel and buff your craft alchemy and you can be shooting some alchemistfire/acid flask arrows at your enemies. Plus with archer you can still do the whole full attack thing when you really just need the damages
Full on grenadier alchemist would be my pick for an interesting archer. Explosive Missile lets you add on bombs to your arrows (which you can then customise with further discoveries), and like Declindgrunt says a hybridization funnel adds more options - whether acid/fire like he suggests, or a tanglefoot bag + shard gel to pin someone down, or suffocating powder to shut down a spellcaster.
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Definitely plenty to look into!
if using a bow not really any options worth not doing a full attack. But if using other ranged weaponry then there's stuff you can do.
Android Archer Build
Savage Technoligist Barbarian 1
Hunter 1
fighter 1+
STR 15
DEX 20
CON 14
INT 12
WIS 12
CHA 5
Feats:
Point blank shot
Deadly aim
Rapid shot
Exceptional pull
Percice shot
Weapon focus
Wep special
Many shot
You take the android alternate trait were you have emotions, allowing you to receive morale bonuses, but still retain immunity to fatigue.
For the hunter, you have your pet dead, granting you a permanent +2 Dex.
You get to have a lot of fun shooting different arrows, my fav being pharamone arrows, then triggering scent from the hunter class, and getting +2 on your attacks.
I think the wildest is a grenadier alchemist with a Launching Crossbow and Crossbow Mastery.
With a hybridization funnel, you can pull off some truly wacky things, especially since you can use alchemical weapon to attach alchemical items to your alchemical ammunition (but be warned, you're basically playing a "gil toss" build - it's horrendously expensive.)
Explosive Missile is a ton of fun, too, and a natural fit for such an odd build.
A mounted Halfling or gnome or other Small-sized cavalier or paladin or ranger or hunter or druid archer might be fun. You can move (ride) and still take full attacks.
A character I want to try playing someday is an elf alchemist archer (using Explosive Missile discovery on his arrows) that eventually goes into the Master Chymist PrC. He would concentrate on archery at low level (PBS, Precise Shot, Focused Shot), and then start taking "tanky" feats later on (Power Attack, etc.) for when he turns into a monster.
I suppose you could make a Dex-based persona for Master Chymist, too, but I like the idea of a skinny little elf turning into a giant with a big damn stick.
I also like the idea of a Strength-based javelin thrower with a shield and Quick Draw. Even if Chakrams are better.
For the hunter, you have your pet dead, granting you a permanent +2 Dex.
You get to have a lot of fun shooting different arrows, my fav being pharamone arrows, then triggering scent from the hunter class, and getting +2 on your attacks.
Hunter really isn't needed here. You loose a point of BAB for a +2 Enhancement bonus to DEX said enhancement bonus can be purchased for 4 k.
Scent can be gained via a rage power at level 2.
I like vital strike ranged builds. You can ready actions to disrupt spellcasting and completely wreck spellcasters. Your damage directly affects the concentration check and you can ready a vital strike.
Crossbowman I think is a fighter archetype that gets some bonuses.
It's good for magehunting *wink-wink*
Are you tied to traditional ranged weapons (ie: bows), or are you open to anything that lets you attack at ranged? I mean...if you are willing to accept something more magical, there are all sorts of things you can do with kineticists.
Exactly what I was going to say. Kineticists are practically the definition of what the OP wants.