Throwing weapon build

[jeremiah dodson 812]

If you were going to build a character based around throwing weapons how would you go about it? I feel like the build should "come on line" by 4th, no later then 6th level to be viable.

[Nohwear]

The Vigilante is a near must. At level two you can select an ability that lets your weapon return to you.

[Chess Pwn]

vigilante or startoss or weapon mastery feat.

Throwing is very feat intensive to be okay. It is worse than going bow for a long time, maybe always. If you are okay with that then proceed.

[Torbyne]

I just put together a theoretical build a week or so ago based off of a Flying Blade Swashbuckler. Here is what i had:

Human for the extra feat and bump to Charisma.
Flying Blade for bonus damage and range
STR 10 DEX 13 CON 14 INT 10 WIS 12 CHA 18 (including human bonus)

Traits: Irrepressible for CHA to Mind Effect saves, Tactician for +1 Initiative and +2 to an AoO 1/Day
Feats:
1. Noble Scion of War (CHA to Initiative)
Human Bonus Feat. Divine Fighting Technique for Desna (Cha to hit/damage with Starknives)
3. Point Blank Shot
4 Swashbuckler Bonus Feat. Precise Shot
5. Quick Draw
7. Ricochet Toss (assuming Flying Blade Training qualifies)
8 Swashbuckler Bonus Feat. Rapid Shot
9. Deadly Aim
11. Combat Reflexes
12 Swashbuckler Bonus Feat. Weapon Focus: Starknife
13. Weapon Specialization: Starknife
15. Startoss Style
16 Swashbuckler Bonus Feat. Startoss Comet
17. Startoss shower

This build starts out with a once per round 1D4+4 attack but can get a preemptive hit on at anything that attacks you in melee and then could attempt a parry against that attack after giving your enemy a -4 on their roll.

At level 3 damage bumps up to 1D4+8

At level 7 you either get Ricochet Toss or a Blinkback Belt. you use CHA for damage so the belt slot is kind of a bonus. better if you get Ricochet Toss and a DEX belt though.

By level 9 you are looking at dishing out 3-4 attacks every round for around 1D4+22 each and can spend panache to add an additional 9 damage to each hit.

Depending on how far the game goes you will snowball your damage at later levels.

You get around the weapon loss of most thrown builds, you get a stable damage booster on every attack, you have a few neat tricks for defense, eventually getting to Disruptively Counter, Parry and Riposte whenever someone tries to melee attack you, and almost everything you do is scaled off of Charisma which is... different.

[Chess Pwn]

Swashbuckler's training as been officially told to NOT count as fighter weapon training to qualify for ricochet toss.

[OldRolero]

I have a build I made a while a go, and gets online pretty fast:

Race: Human

Traits: Reactionary, Carefully Hidden

Class: Fighter (Mutation Warrior)

Attributes (20p/buy)

Str 14 Dex 16+2 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 12 Cha 7

1 - Point-blank shot, Deadly Aim, Quick draw
2 - Bravery +1, Precise Shot
3 - Mutagen, Far Shot
4 - Rapid Shot, +1 Dex
5 - Weapon Training (Thrown), Advanced Weapon Training (Versatile Training)
6 - Bravery +2, Ricochet Toss
7 - Mutagen Discovery (Vestigial Arm), Multiweapon Fighting
8 - Weapon Focus (StarKnife), +1 Dex
9 - Advanced Weapon Training (Trained Throw), Dodge
10 - Bravery +3, Advanced Weapon Training (Focused weapon)
11 - Mutagen Discovery (Vestigial Arm), Close-Quarters Thrower
12 - Clustered Shots, +1 Dex
13 - Advanced Weapon Training (Armed bravery), Improved critical
14 - Bravery +4, Improved Precise Shot
15 - Mutagen Discovery (Greater Mutagen), Advanced Weapon Training (Trained initiative)
16 - Weapon Specialization (StarKnife), +1 Dex
17 - Advanced Weapon Training (Trained Reflexes), Greater Weapon Focus (StarKnife)
18 - Bravery +5, Improved Initiative
19 - Mutagen Discovery (Grand Mutagen), Greater Weapon Specialization (StarKnife)
20 - Weapon Mastery (Starknife), Advanced Weapon Training (Weapon Sacrifice), +1 Dex

The build takes advantage of the extra arms through the mutagen discoveries to get multiweapon fighting which combined with rapid shot, gives up to 4 extra throws. This build comes fully online by 11th level,but it is perfectly operational by levels 5 to 7.

You pack damage by number of throws, and thanks to the extra arms, rapid shot and ricochet toss you can rain starknifed death very quickly.

From there, Trained throw, Deadly Aim and much later weapon specialization help pile up the damage.

Some of the Advanced Weapon Training options can be choosed in diferent order, especially if you want faster access to Armed Bravery or Focused Weapon.

At its full potencial, this build has all good saves, great initiative, 9 attacks per turn (if hasted), and gets enough skills to be capable in more than knife throwing.

[Chess Pwn]

the extra arms from discoveries CAN'T be used to get extra attacks via multiweapon fighting. Extra arm discovery CAN'T make more attacks then it could without the extra arms.

[Secret Wizard]

The Hunter is pretty good. Feel free to nix the disarm angle.

[Alex Mack]

As of Villain Codex Barbarians (specifically Savage Technologists) with the Savage Hurl Rage power have become power house throwers.

Savage Hurl provides a scaling to hit bonus +1, +2 at 4th, +3 at 8th, +4 at 12th if your STR is sufficiently high. All at the cost of 1 measly rage power.

[OldRolero]

Chess Pwn wrote:

the extra arms from discoveries CAN'T be used to get extra attacks via multiweapon fighting. Extra arm discovery CAN'T make more attacks then it could without the extra arms.

I disagree.

Vestigial Arm:
Benefit: The alchemist gains a new arm (left or right) on his torso. The arm is fully under his control and cannot be concealed except with magic or bulky clothing. The arm does not give the alchemist any extra attacks or actions per round, though the arm can wield a weapon and make attacks as part of the alchemist’s attack routine (using two-weapon fighting). The arm can manipulate or hold items as well as the alchemist’s original arms (for example, allowing the alchemist to use one hand to wield a weapon, another hand to hold a potion, and the third hand to throw a bomb). The arm has its own “hand” and “ring” magic item slots (though the alchemist can still only wear two rings and two hand magic items at a time).

Multiweapon Fighting:
Benefit: Penalties for fighting with multiple weapons are reduced by –2 with the primary hand and by –6 with off hands.

And since Multiweapon Fighting replaces two-weapon fighting, is perfectly legal as raw, unless there is a faq out there that says so.

[Chess Pwn]

There's a FAQ that says so. Vestigial arms don't give extra attacks.

[Torbyne]

Chess Pwn wrote:

Swashbuckler's training as been officially told to NOT count as fighter weapon training to qualify for ricochet toss.

Dang, where did that ruling come from?

[Claxon]

Thrown weapon builds take a long time to come together, you need a lot of feats. It's basically an archery build plus extra things to make thrown weapons work.

I can specifically speak to the Vigilante mentioned by Nohwear, and say it doesn't work. The Vigilante talent he refers to only adds the returning quality to weapons (until level 14). The problem is that after you throw the weapon, the returning property doesn't return it until you're next turn, so you can't make iterative attacks with the same weapon.

[Cult of Vorg]

Str12, Dex16+2, Con12, Int14, Wis14, Cha7
1: Human WeaponMaster Fighter 1: WpnFocus-starknife, PointBlankShot, Startoss Style
+7 1d4+4
2: Far Strike Monk 1: Quick Draw, Precise Shot, flurry
+5/+5 1d4+4
3-5: Flying Blade Swash 1-3: Startoss Comet, Extra Panache, precise strike and other swashy stuff
+8/+8 1d4+9, FA 1 target or standard 2
6-7: WMF 2-3: Startoss Shower, weapon training, Ricochet Toss
+11/+11/+6 or shower 1d4+12, only 1 weapon needed
8-9: FBS 4-5: Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, improved critical, swash training, swash stuff
+14/+14/+9 1d4+16
10+: WMF4 Trained Throw, FSM Far Shot, Improved Precise Shot....

Didn't include any magic, level stats, etc..
Not terribly impressive, but guess it would function, don't know if the range makes up for damage compared to melee or the aesthetics make up for range compared to bows..

[Gwen Smith]

Far strike monk is a nice archetype. I have one combined with a juggler bard for extra fun.

[Alex Mack]

The build outlined below requires a specific magic item (blink back belt) and will ideally utilize a Furious Spear. You could arguably attempt to build it more as a switch hitter and cut Precise shot for PA as that’s an equally viable strategy for an 18 STR barbarian. Biggest issue at later levels is that you don’t have a slot for a stat belt although you could also pick up ricochet shot (costs 2 feats) in the later levels to free up your belt slot.
With the Hurler Archetype you have 30 ft. range. With hunter’s site a 100 GP item you can reduce the range penalty by -2. The build should be playable from level one but really comes together once you get Savage Hurl going.
Your attack routine at Point Blank at level 6 without any magic items would be + 13/+13/+8 1d8+14 due tot he scaling to hit bonuses from Reckless Abandon and Savage hurl things just get better and better...I have not yet been able to figure out how to squeeze in startoss style however.

Human Hurler Savage Technologist
STR 18 DEX 16 CON 12 INT 10 WIS 12 CHA 7
Traits: Death Touched + ???

1 PBS, Rapid Shot
2 Furious Draw (Quick Draw as Rage power from Villain Codex)
3 Deadly Aim
4 Savage Hurl (from Villain Codex)
5 Two Handed Thrower
6 Reckless Abandon
7 Precsie Shot

[OldRolero]

Chess Pwn wrote:

There's a FAQ that says so. Vestigial arms don't give extra attacks.

I stand corrected then. Thanks for the info.

[Claxon]

I'm currently playing a Molthuni Arsenal Chaplain Warpriest. They get fighter weapon training which is useful as well as access to Advanced Weapon Training (via the feat) which becomes useful at later levels.

To start with you pick up Starry Grace, which gives you dex to damage with Star Knives.

Weapon Training allows you to pick Ricochet Toss.

You can either go TWF or Startoss Style. I did the math, at higher levels TWF can come out ahead but for most of the characters life Startoss Style is better.

Aside from that you need pretty much all the standard archery feats. Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Deadly Aim, Point Blank Master (which you can grab with your bonus feats that let you count as a fighter), Rapid Shot.

Human works very well because the FCB is building toward extra bonus feats, which is quite useful for this build.

If your GM is cool and is using Automatic Bonus Progression you can drop Ricochet Toss and instead pick up a Blink Back Belt since you don't need that slot for a belt of dex or str.

At higher levels you can retrain Starry Grace into Advanced Weapon Training for Trained Grace, which doubles your damage bonus from Weapon Training.

[Jagael]

I know this thread is a year old, but I got interested in this build type recently. I made up two builds along similar lines using the much maligned rope dart (Brawler and UnMonk). I think the Brawler could switch between melee and range with higher damage, but is not really useful out of combat. The Monk is a bit weaker and lacks the feat fluidity even discounting Martial Flexibility, but he has a lot more skills to offer out of combat.

Any input to improve these is welcome. They are not meant to be optimized builds, just useful. But if there is a way to improve I'm interested.

Oh and 20 Point Buys. No gear other than a mundane rope dart is included.

Human Unarmed Fighter(1)/Brawler(11)

STR 16 (+2,+1) INT 8
DEX 18 (+1,+1) WIS 14
CON 14 CHA 10

1.UF – Class: Improved Unarmed Strike, Class Style: Startoss Style (Rope Dart), Feat: Weapon Focus (Rope Dart), Feat: Point-Blank Shot
3.B – Feat: Precise Shot, B Feat: Startoss Comet
5.B – Feat: Startoss Shower, B Feat: Dodge
7.B – Feat: Close-Quarters Thrower
8.B – B Feat: Deadly Aim
9.B – Feat: Weapon Specialization (Rope Dart)
11.B – Feat: Elemental Fist, B Feat: Dirty Fighting

Flurry BAB +13/+13/+8/+8/+3 DMG 1d10+3+1d6 Elemental

Ranged Flurry BAB +16/+16/+11/+11/+8 DMG 1d4+12 (3STR+1PBS+6 Startoss+2 WS)

Human Unchained Monk (12)

STR 16 (+1, +1) INT 14 (+1)
DEX 14 WIS 16 (+2)
CON 12 CHA 10

1.UC – Class: Improved Unarmed Strike, Class: Stunning Fist, Feat: Weapon Focus (Rope Dart), Feat: Point-Blank Shot, B Feat: Dodge
2.UC – B Feat: Combat Reflexes, Class: Evasion
3.UC – Feat: Precise Shot
5.UC – Feat: Startoss Style
6.UC – B Feat: Mobility
7.UC – Feat: Close-Quarters Thrower
9.UC – Feat: Startoss Comet
10.UC – B Feat: Medusa’s Wrath
11.UC – Feat: Startoss Shower

Flurry BAB +15/+15/+15/+10/+5 DMG 2d6+3

Ranged Flurry BAB +16/+16/+16/+11/+6 DMG 1d4+10 (3STR+1PBS+6 Startoss)