Build Help: Monster Hunter with a Crossbow

So, in theory, this sounds easy. Ranger, Outwit, Monster Hunter/Warden etc. Put skills in Recall Knowledge locations.

Problem is, you end up skill starved and at level 7 I would be doing almost no damage. Free archetype is on the table here.

Anyone built a sort of Witcher/Monster Hunter/Wandering Beasty Bounty Hunter with a crossbow type? I was thinking maybe Archer archetype for more Crossbow feats but you still end up so bad at skills that the recall knowledge feels insufficient. I want to feel competent in combat at least, and even with a heavy repeater, you're still at like d10+2 ish without striking. Even then, 2d10+2 is pretty boring.

You might consider getting the Monster Hunter and other such abilities from Ranger Archetype instead. That opens up a lot of different options.

Thaumaturge with 1-hand crossbow doing a bunch of static damage from Implement's Empowerment and Exploit Vulnerability. Thaumaturge also gets one of the better special Lore skills for identifying creatures with.

Gunslinger for reload action compression on the crossbow of choice, extra accuracy, and a bit of extra damage (one point, but still...).

If you do want to stick with Ranger as base class, you could try the build with Precision Edge instead. That will give your 1/round crossbow shot quite a bit of extra precision damage. You can still pick up many of the Ranger feats such as Monster Hunter since most of them don't require a particular Edge in order to get (though some may have extra benefits if you do have a synergy Edge).

Oh, and for skill starved, a good option is Rogue archetype for extra skills. You can also pick up a limited version of Sneak Attack for a bit of extra precision damage.

See, the problem is each of those fixes PART of it. I was thinking Thaum actually as it's probably the best way to do it; I hadn't imagined the character being quite so... superstitious and unscientific but I can reflavor some of the thaumaturge's more unusual behaviours.

Ranger just always seems to get such a short end of the stick when it tries to do anything on its own. The only time I've been able to really build a ranger the way I wanted was a dual pick wielding flurry ranger, and that could have been done almost as well with a fighter taking dual weapon archetype. I'm trying hard to make Ranger work but I think it may be a no-go for what I want here.

Thanks for the info!

I wonder if the vindicator ranger can get you closer to what you are looking for.
Tolte Coatl as a deity gets you favored weapon arbalest and the knowledge domain

Their edge helps with getting off offensive spells like their focus spell and that focus spell increases strike damage you do.
Can get monster hunter and some of the vindicator archtype feats that lean into RK.

The archtype feats can get you the knowledge domain for surestrike like RK checks.

Play as halfling or adopt it to get hafling luck for rerolling failed RK checks.

Using crossbows is a feat drain though and deciding when to get crossbow ace and running reload vs the knowledge domain or monster hunter seems like a pain.

i have a player in my current game that chose outwit ranger with a crossbow.
They picked up an animal companion and gravity weapon to get more out of the usually one shot they make a round.

They do have crossbow ace and a good deception to get offguard at range with create a diversion.

Is gunslinger as your main class out of the question? It could give you all the crossbow power you need (and make reloading less painful) and then you can take a more flavour/skill-oriented archetype to compensate for the lack of monster-hunting flavour.

Mastermind is rogue is also another possible way that isn't immediately obvious, as they focus on recalling knowledge to activate flat-footed. You'll also get a bunch of skills and skill feats.

Then your archtype is essentially whatever you'd want. I'd be tempted for something like bounty hunter or ranger to pick up Monster Hunter to really drive those flat-footed shots through.

I agree for use of crossbows probably the Gunslinger is the best option. But once the OP take Outwit as subclass I can imagine that he/she/it wants to have some hunt like concept and track the creatures. So to keep this hunter like part I recommend to take Bounty Hunter or Game Hunter archetypes.

Probably this will sove the both demand to have hunter like ability and some good damage output. To complete this concept I suggest to take Way of the Sniper as Gunslinger subclass.