Javaed's page

I've heard that too: that just about everyone who does Pathfinder 2e online uses Foundry over other VTTs.

With the recent difficulty of finding Roll20 groups online lately, I was starting to believe that there had been some sort of mass migration between VTTs. Despite the alleged rise of online roleplay this year, I don't think I've ever seen more than maybe 20 open campaigns on Roll20 for PF2E.

It got me to invest in Foundry. And I've toyed around with it quite a bit too. But in the six months I've had it, I've not been able to either host or play in a single Foundry game.

Best I can figure, it has numerous ready to use fan-made tools--which are broken more often than not due to constant updates and poor coordination (relatively speaking; considering that they are free-working fans, they are actually VERY coordinated--but multiple disparate groups will never match a single paid focus group).

So for the past year & half I've been playing with a personal friend and we each GM a game. We recruited our other players off of the Pathfinder Discord server and have had a steady gaming group for a year and a half now. We run our games in Foundry b/c of how good the PF2e module is for it (even with its few flaws). I use several plugins and rarely have any major issues after either a core Foundry system update or an update to the PF2e rules.

I used Roll20 for several years, and still think its a decent map-building tool but I never had luck with pick up groups on the service.

At my comic shop, the store employees tell me that I'm one of a tiny handful of people buying PF2e stuff. They still have people playing 1e in the shop as well as D&D 5e, but oddly enough Call of Cthulhu is the most popular roll playing game atm.

Well, to offer my 2 cents. I played a couple of Witches in 1e in larger parties, it was one of my favorite classes as I heavily enjoy playing utility classes in games. I played a 2e Witch until level 7 and wound up asking my GM to rebuild the character as I was underwhelmed by the character.

My main complaint with the Witch is that it lacks an element to really make it shine compared to any other spell casting class. Hexes feel like an inferior version of most other focus spells. It can pick which spell list it can use, but has fewer spells than the Sorcerer. Shoot, even the Hex mechanic was watered down since you'll only ever get one that can be cast without consuming resources.

I felt my playtest version of the class was playable, but somewhat low on the power scale. I felt like I'd been nerfed across the board when the final version was released. Through creative use of archetypes (my group plays with Free Archetypes) I was able to recreate similar abilities on a Sorcerer to what my Witch build had used throughout the campaign and these abilities were stronger.

The class needs more access to hex cantrips via feats. Hexes that cost focus points shouldn't suffer further penalties or restrictions. Many of the launched hexes need to be reworked. As things stand the class is certainly playable, but much like the 1e Core Rogue, I don't know why you'd want to play one.

Unfortunately it isn't likely that I'll get to playtest unless my current character dies next week. I did want to share a few thoughts though as I really enjoyed playing my 1e Summoners.

1. The action economy mechanics of the Summoner strike me as something that could be confusing for new players to the game. If possible I think feedback from first-time or more relatively new players should be gathered.

2. One of my favorite characters was a Grippli Summoner who strode into combat with his Eidlon, using a polearm to attack around it. I really struggle to see a viable way to build this type of concept, and I would think a Gish + Summoned creature build to be a common fantasy for players. Maybe this could be alleviated with feat support though? Like I could see a feat that allows both and your Eidolon to each strike but only increases the MAP after the strikes for 2 actions? Or maybe "Strike Together" that gives you both finisher strikes when using act together with a condition to trigger it?

3. I may have missed it on my read through, but how do skill proficiency advancements work for the Eidolon? For the final version of the book a specific callout for how an Eidolon advances might be a good idea.

4. Right now it feels like most of your actions and feats boost the Eidolon, almost turning your main character into more of a remote pilot or sidekick. I'd like some feats that let you have a stronger impact via the Summoner himself. Make it so there's an actual decision to be made each round as to which character spends most of the actions.

5. I like the Summoning Font idea, but wouldn't want to give up buffing spells for the ability. Playing with the action economy to have both a summoned creature and an Eidolon on the field could be quite fun though. Especially if you set things up with Ostentatious Arrival on the first round. I would like to see more feats like that, and maybe a feat that adds an additional Summon X spells to your repertoire from outside your spell school.

So I'm jumping in to share my two cents. Patrons definitely need more fleshing out (and need a skill to be trained in) but I really like the flavor of at first level you learn your "First Lesson" and the mechanics of getting to pick and choose my Hexes. So what if we dropped the idea of having a single patron entirely, and think in terms of the various lessons you would learn in your Coven instead.

I'm actually thinking of borrowing from the PF1e Shaman a bit here, in terms of how a Patron would be described. The difference in game mechanics is that we shouldn't assume a Witch would only learn from a single coven member. While your First Lesson would be the most impactful and would have benefits only gained at level one, the Second Lesson, Greater Lesson and other feats would still let you pick up a Hex from another Patron.

As a side note, I personally wouldn't mind if we further borrow from the Shaman and let that first patron choice flavor your Familiar a bit. I like the extra ability points, but we need far more options if somebody were wanting to purchase up to 8 familiar or master abilities. At high levels I currently see all witch familiars being pretty similar to each other.

To pull all this together, how about updating the idea of the Maiden/Mother/Crone for a few patrons.

Patron: The Youth
First Lesson: You were initially inspired by a patron who embodies enthusiam, boldness, cunning and new beginnings. Your first patron encourages exploration and experimentation, even when such actions might be perceived as reckless. You have learned the traditions of Primal magic and are trained in the Nature skill.

Familars: Familiars granted by the Youth are young in both body and spirit, exibiting vigor and playfulness. They gain the <insert here> Familiar Ability.

Basic Lesson: Lesson of Deceipt
Greater Lesson: Lesson of Dreams
Major Lesson: Lesson of Renewal

Patron: The Protector
First Lesson: Your first patron was concerned with your safety and well being. They taught you the benefits of discipline and planning, though they may not have been the most kind-hearted of patrons. You have learned the traditions of Arcane magic and are trained in the Arcana skill.

Familars: Familiars granted by the Protector are strong and tough, often having been sent to guard against their master's folly. They gain the Bodyguard Familiar Ability.

Basic Lesson: Lesson of Protection
Greater Lesson: Lesson of <insert here>
Major Lesson: Lesson of Boundaries

Something along those lines could be really interesting. Your first patron gives you a fair amount of flavor for your character's background and explains why you were trained in certain magic traditions. A little bit of uniqueness to the familiar carries over as well. Let the various "Lesson" feats specify you may learn a lesson from any patron so you're not as locked in like you would be with a Diety and describe your collection of patrons as your "Coven".

Spear builds are definitely on my list of builds to cover. I'm playing with various options right now to see which builds I like the best. If you have specific builds in mind please post them!

Hello everybody,

A couple of weekends ago I began work on a comprehensive guide to the Fighter as it has been quite awhile since the last one was written. While Rogue Eidolon's insights are quite good (Paizo did hire him after all) his guide sadly is Core only and the additional guides are pretty specific to particular builds. So, I've undertaken the mammoth task of working through everything available to the fighter.

One thing to note, I'm combining the sections on Combat Tricks and Combat Feats for the sake of efficiency. I try to make sure I describe what each Combat Trick does along with the descriptions of their corresponding feats and provide some evaluation for them as well. This is going to take awhile to complete so for now consider all evaluations preliminary.

I appreciate all feedback but as I'm actively working on the document I have disabled comments for now.

Click Here for the Google Doc

Status:
I currently have all archetypes save the race-specific ones evaluated. Additionally I have provided thoughts on Alternate Weapon Training options (they're mostly awesome) and am working through every combat feat, though I'll probably miss a few here or there.

I'm loving the archetype and will probably be playing a Psychic Detective soon. Consider that you can grab Color Spray right at first level to boost your combat capabilities and then trade it away at level 5 for a utility spell.

I personally recommend going with an Elf for this build. If you choose to use Strength for damage, you've got Longsword proficiency. For a Dex to Damage build you can use a Rapier from your class proficiencies, so drop Elven Weapon Familiarity to pick up Fey Thoughts and regain those class skills you lost.

So my plan would be Elf with Str: 10, Dex: 17, Con: 12, Int: 18, Wis: 12, Cha: 7. I'd swap EWP for Fey Thoughts, picking up Arcobatics and Climb as class skills. Weapon Finesse > Weapon Focus > Fencing Grace for my first three feats, retraining them around level 6 or 7 if I can get an Agile Rapier.

Note: At level 7 it would cost 1050 gp and 15 days to follow this plan, doable if the campaign allows that much down time. I also get to trade these out for either Expanded Phrenic Pool or Extra Investigator Talent feats, so that's money and time well spent in my book.

Damage output will be low at early levels, but Color Spray with an 18 Int should get me past the levels 1-3 hump that most Investigators have to deal with. At level 4 I'll have Studied Combat online, and Dex to damage at level 5. That's not too bad overall for melee options.

The fact that my spells don't have obvious verbal and somatic components makes me a very sneaky character. With Trap Finding and Mage Hand I'm awfully close to being an Arcane Trickster. I've also got 10 skill points per level and can boost my skill rolls with additional dice.

As a final thought, were I to Gestalt this I'd probably roll with my old Bladebound Kensai build. That would provide a huge boost to damage potential, give me two forms of spell casting keyed on Int and would let me go with a Str build instead of a Dex build (since you get Mage Armor from the Psychic spells at level 1).

1 Nonlethal / Level per Burn
Lv 1 - 1 Burn/Round
Lv 6 - 2 Burn/Round
Lv 9 - 3 Burn/Round
Lv 12 - 4 Burn/Round
Lv 15 - 5 Burn/Round
Lv 18 - 6 Burn/Round

Total Burn = Con Mod + 3

I've decided to give a dedicated melee build a try just to see how this works out. It looks like damage recistances are the biggest obstacle this buld would face, so I'll be going with a "Metal" build down the road to combat this. I present you with:

Simon the Diggy Diggy Geokinetic

Race: Dwarf
Str: 10 Dex: 16 Con: 18 Int: 12 Wis: 14 Cha: 5 (20 Point Buy)
Favored Clas Bonus: HP
Skill Per Level: 3

Element: Earth (Earth Blast)

Feats:
1 - Weapon Finesse
3 - Arcane Strike
5 - Weapon Focus (Kinetic Blast)

Talents / Class Features:
1 - Kinetic Blade
2 - Extended Range
4 - Pushing Infusion
5 - Form (-1)

Level 1:
I'm a bit slow on the ground, but that's ok as I'm very much a Switch Hitter. I pelt targets with rocks goading them to attack me. When they do I stand my ground, using my move action to gather energy for a 0 Burn Kinetic Blade. This is actually a Kinetic Multitool, giving me a Pick, Hammer or Axe as needed. A very useful ability for all those tunnels I dig. I'm not particularly accurate though.

HP: 13
AC: 17 (Chain Shirt)
Attack: (+3) 1d6+5, Melee/Ranged, P/B/S

Level 3:
This is a really interesting level as Flesh of Stone & Feel the Burn both come online. Taking 1 point of Burn for DR 2 / Adamantine, +1 Attack, +1 Damage for the entire day is a very nice bonus. I thought hard about Arcane Strike or Piranha Strike but decided I can't afford the lost attack bonus right now. Picking up Extended Range at level 2 really lets me snipe though, which is a huge plus.

HP: 33 (30 Effective)
AC: 17
DR: 2 / Adamantite
Attack: (+6) 2d6+8, Melee/Ranged, P/B/S, Arcane

Level 5:
Now we're doing a little better. I can do an Extended Range, Pushing ranged attack for 0 Burn provided I stand still. If I engage at melee I can use Kinetic Blade at 0 Burn naturally, letting me move and attack. My AC isn't increasing by much yet, but I have some nice DR for this level at a cost of 1 Burn. Combat-wise I'm in pretty good shape.

HP: 53 (48 Effective)
AC: 18 (+1 Chain Shirt)
DR: 3 / Adamantite
Attack: (+8) 3d6+10, Melee/Ranged, P/B/S, Arcane

So for the first 5 levels I'm basiclly playing a switch-hitting Fighter or Ranger. I benefit from only having to worry about 2 Attribute Scores and could min-max to a greater extent if I wwant to. I am finding the lack of utility options kind of dull though. This will get a bit better as I level, and infact I'm planning on grabbing Move Earth at level 6 to keep the Minecraft theme going on. With that ability and the right Craft skill I don't see why I couldn't be building a really nice fortress for my party in fact.

Feedback wise, I really want 4 skills per level baseline. I'm also finding the list of Talents to choose during the first few levels to be a bit dull. I'd like to see 1-2 utility options per element and a couple of universal talents to choose from. I think there's plenty of 0th or 1st level spells we could mine for basic options.

I have a rules question to ask, as it'll affect all Kinetic Blade builds. Do feats / abilties / ect that affect Kinetic Blast transfer to Kinetic Blade? For example, would I need to pick up Weapon Focus: Kinetic Blast or Weapon Focus: Kinetic Blade at level 5 with this build?

Btw, I'm going to plan out some party based test scenarios this weekend with Simon here. I'm thinking a party consiting of an Investigator, an Oradin and a Bard might be fun to play with.

So the Errata states: "Page 51—In the Pistolero archetype, in the Deeds class feature, in the Up Close and Deadly deed, delete the
third sentence."

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that be "This is precision damage and is not multiplied if the attack is a critical hit."

If so this would be a really odd change. The very next sentence specifically refers to "This precision damage" as does the one after that.

Cheating among players should be unacceptable. You're playing a cooperative game and should be able to handle the fact that sometimes you'll fail. If you're not mature enough to handle that fact, then honestly I would suggest playing a different game.

Now I do hold GMs to a slightly different standard. GMs should be rolling behind a screen and should the choice of occasionally fudging their die rolls. Sometimes you're rolling consistently bad and the big boss fight requires that you fake your numbers just to make sure the fight is fun for your players. Sometimes you roll insanely well, but don't want to kill off a character a player is really invested in due to a lucky crit with a Power Attacking Scythe.

How about using a coin, that looks like a common silver or gold piece. This would allow the intelligent item to be passed around, until it makes its way into the hands of somebody it wants to dominate. It's a common enough item that nobody is going to think twice about it, and is easy to hide (the party finds a stash of silver coins worth yadda yadda yadda).

The reason I don't want them to be Cha-based is because it shafts Dwarves, who would be far and away the most likely to take this class. In fact, the iconic Warpriest (PrC) from 3.5 was a Dwarf.

They don't need to be charismatic leaders. They are divine weapons - if they inspire others, it should be through their deeds, not their words. That, and it provides a more compelling counterpart to the charismatic Paladin.

Let them be gruff, brutal and effective.

+1 on this comment.

Besides, if the issue is allowing a Warpriest to effectively use Diplomacy then that could easily be handled with a trait similar to Bruising Intellect.

Since this is the last opportunity, I'd like to repeat my comments.

1) I really like the core mechanics for the class. Spirits feel like they're similar to parent class features but are different enough to be something new and interesting.
2) The hexes have swings in actual utility and don't feel like Witch Hexes at all. These need more work, and some of the traditional Witch options should be integrated into various Spirits.
3) The elemental spirits are kinda dull, and I could really see a single elemental spirit sufficing for this role (similar to the Draconic bloodline). I'd really like to see some Witch Patrons as spirits, and some of these could combine easily with Oracle Mysteries. Ancestors, for instance, springs to mind.
4) I understand the reasons why printing new spell lists would be problematic, but I honestly feel that the Shaman needs one more than the Bloodrager does.

Javaed wrote:

Hey Stephen, want to drop any hints on what the Iconic character will be like? =)

Investigatory ;)

Good one! I've updated all my surveys but I just want to say I absolutely can't wait to play an Investigator. I think this is one of the better built classes at the moment and really just needs some additional polish. August can't come soon enough.

I have done a lot of testing with a ton of builds, and I haven't had any serious problems with the Inquisitor at levels 1-3. The class winds up with similar stat allocations as a Magus, with the same options. You can go with a Strength build and contribute adequate to good damage for 3 levels or go with a Dex build where your damage will be reduced until level 3, but your defenses will be higher. From level 4 and on you have no problems.

Yes it could be a little better, and probably should be if this class was intended for a pure combat role. However, the core concept of the class is actually as a support role with a strong focus on out of combat utility. The fact that the class can perform adequately in combat while stealing the show outside of it makes this a pretty strong class in my opinion.

Javaed wrote:

while the offered weapons are good thematic choices, you're somewhat limited in good options.

how exactly are these thematic choices? the quintessential investigator doesn't have a particular weapon (other than maybe hand-to-hand combat because you always have your body on you)... also, agility and dexterity are two different things (the former is essentially strength since it's gross motor), but both could be used to fight smarter rather than harder. in fact, since you're so smart, you should know you're probably going to be more combat effective by using PA and a two-hander... like a twinkie rogue... like a twinkie rogue... (edit: sorry, sometimes i accidentally channel morgan freeman.)

You will be more deadly with a 2-Hander, but you won't be terrible with a one handed weapon or dual wielding. As for how the current weapon options are thematic?

I've read a ton of P.I. fiction, and really the only weapons missing from the list are guns, baked in hand-to-hand combat and the occasional use of a longer sword. Holmes tended to use a lot of guns, and I think he made use of a sap or truncheon. Garret (from Glen Cook's book series) makes use of a sap or club most often, but occasionally pulls out a crossbow or a sword. Bunches of "Steam Punk" novels bring out cane-swords or rapiers, along with crossbows and guns. Oh, and the combat parasol. Might want to add that as a new exotic weapon Paizo devs.

If we go to the more magical end of things we've got Constantine, Dresden and even Sandman-Slim. They tend to make a greater use of magic obviously, but when they mix it up we see hand-to-hand combat, saps, improvised weapons and a ton of guns.

Really what the class needs to round itself out are a gun using archetype and an unarmed fighting archetype along with the ability to use ranged weapons and studied combat. I'd like a couple more weapons added from the get go just to add some variety to class during the early levels.

While I'd agree that an Inquisitor is going to be a stronger fighter, I don't think balance should focus solely on combat prowess. I also don't think the Investigator is exactly a slouch in that department either once Studied Combat and Alchemist class features come into play.

By the way, my play tests have assumed that Studied Combat will last for Int Rounds instead of 1/2 Int Rounds and that the ability is initially a move action. Most of my characters were built with a 15 or 16 Strength.

My Conclusions so far:
1) Races that offer up additional weapon choices are extremely tempting, and the class could probably use one or two additional weapon choices. That being said, I had fun with my Half-elf Greatsword User as well as my Tengu with an Agile Elven Curved Blade.

2) A round of prebuffing is a requirement before you start combat, but winds up being very effective. My normal pattern has been to spend my move-action to start Studied Combat and my standard action to drink an Extract of Bull's Strength or a Strength Mutagen. Basically this feels like a mini-rage mechanic, where I concentrate on one target but am really able to lay into him before moving on to the next one. I'm not sure if that really matches the theme Stephen is going for, but mechanically it is fun and effective.

3) AC for the class actually feels kind of low and while the offered weapons are good thematic choices, you're somewhat limited in good options. It would be nice if Studied Combat worked with ranged weapons out of the box. I don't think it would be too big of a deal to add Longsword and Buckler proficiency either.

4) The class doesn't fully come online until level 4, and while the first couple of levels can be a little rough they aren't as bad as what I've experienced with the Swashbuckler. I would suggest starting Investigator Talent at level 2 and adding Weapon Trainingm, Finesse Rogue and Unarmed Combat Training (Ninja Trick) to the list of available Rogue talents.

5) While I do find the skill-based Rogue Talents appealing, they generally aren't as strong as an available Alchemist Discovery or one of the new Investigator Talents. I have a hard time seeing anybody picking these up until really late in the game.

Stephen, would you be so kind as to confirm whether a ranged Studied Combat option will be available or not? I'm looking at a bunch of potential builds, but right now I'm basically defaulting to a Strength-based combatant at first level that picks up feasts in preparation for later-levels.

So far, here's what I've found:

1) For melee builds, races that can net you extra weapon proficiencies are going to be very tempting. Picking up a Great Sword and combining Mutagents, Extracts and Studied Combat winds up being very powerful.

2) Kirin Style is going to a recommended feat chain for this class, there's just not getting around that. Personally, I'm perfectly fine with this idea.

3) This class is over-flowing with Skill points and skill bonuses. It could honestly work just fine with only 4 skills/level considering that every player will boost up Intelligence.

4) Charisma is a no-brainer as a dump stat. I can even justify dumping the stat for RP purposes by going with a character concept like N from Death Note.

Err, was that supposed to be an endorsement?

Because taking 3 turns to buff to take on a CR -1 enemy and only winning mostly uninjured because you crit and he kept rolling low is ehhhhhh.

Nope, not an endorsement at all. I had to go invisible and prebuff using an elf only extract to do so. With some pretty nice buffs it took 4 rounds to down a CR-1 critter with all the rolls going my way. With more normal rolls I probably would have taken more damage forcing the use of my second Blend extract so I could hide and heal.

I also found Studied Strike to be minimally useful at this level. It might as well last Int rounds per level with the current mechanics. Then again, I don't think damage is where the class should be toned down. Scale back the freebie Inspiration bonuses instead.

A 1 level dip does make the Holy Gun paladin archetype a bit less painful to play, since with Grit and Panache stacking you no longer have to wait until level 11 to gain a grit pool =P.

Halfling Cavalier (Emissary, Honor Guard, Beast Rider) - Designed somewhat tanky

Str: 16
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 10
Wis: 07
Cha: 12

Feats: Mounted Combat (Free), Ride-by-Attack
Traits: Helpful (Halfling), Defender of the Society
Armor: Four-Mirror Armor, Heavy Wooden Shield
Total AC: 22
Weapon: Lance - when charging you deal 2d6+6 damage at first level

You get to charge around dealing high damage right at first level. Your AC is high and can go higher if you like. You get some nice tanking abilities as you level up. And with the Beast Rider archetype you can start riding a velociraptor at level 7, netting you Pounce. Have fun.

Go for a Two-Handed Fighter. You get bonuses to Sunder attempts, double your Str Mod added to damage rolls and if you make it to level 15 you get doubled bonuses from Power Attacks. Pick up a Greatsword and have fun.

Question: Would the GM allow the player to pick a Variant Ability if playing a Tiefling, or would the player be subject to the D100 roll?

Go with an Oni Spawn Tiefling with the following stats:
Str: 20
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 10
Wis: 12
Cha: 5

During tough fights use your SLA Alter Self to add another +2 to Strength.

Feats are as follows:
1: Power Attack, Improved Sunder
2: Furious Focus
3: Weapon Focus (Great Sword)

Favored class bonus into HP if you're in a real meat grinder.

Buy the following items: +1 Full Plate, +1 Greatsword, Cloak of Resistance +1.

You'll have AC of 21, 31 HP, +6 Fort, +3 Ref, +3 Will a +10 attack bonus with your Greatsword and a +11 CMB when Sundering.

A single-attack, using Power Attack will deal 2D6 + 13 damage with no penalty to attack rolls. Is that enough damage?

Players are always going to try to make their characters as good at what they want that character to do as possible. We're playing heroic characters, we want them to feel heroic. To a certain extent, we're always going to try to optimize.

It sounds to me like your main concern is players who optimize for Combat Situations, putting all their resources into making their character a deadly combatant. The only way to make that happen is to include a number of situations in your game that requires more than just combat.

Chase scenes, races, gladiatorial combat (where skills like ride or performance combat might come into play) and infiltration missions are some good options. You might also throw in some political intrigue, mystery solving or just day-to-day living. You may even have player pick up Profession skills if you make it known that there would be a use for them.

If all of that stuff happens behind the scenes though, your players are going to build their characters to be more effective at the stuff that happens during actual play. You should also make sure to talk to your players. Tell them upfront that they will encounter as many or more non-combat situations as battles and they'll start building characters able to handle multiple situations.

Won't that just blow off the back half of the horse?

Not if you use some kind of energy protection on the horse. You'd also want to make sure the words are small enough that the reader would have to be close to the horse to make out what they say but of some bright color so that they catch a person's attention.

If somebody is sharp eyed enough to read the text at a distance, I'd imagine a horse that randomly explodes and remains unharmed would be disconcerting enough to cause them to leave the animals alone. And if not, dealing with people brave enough to steal such an animal should make for a fun side quest =).

Spell Focus: Evocation
Greater Spell Focus: Evocation
Varisian Tattoo: Evocation
Spell Specialization
Spell Penetration
Greater Spell Penetration
Empower Spell
Intensified Spell
Selective Spells (For those Fireballs).

I'd suggest you pick up the Blackened Curse for some extra fire spells.

If you're not absolutely married to the Dwarf concept, you could go Gnome and take the Pyromaniac trait for extra fire damage or go Elf for the Ancient Lorekeeper archetype, allowing you to have your choice of Wizard spells for your bonus spells.

Go Anti-Paladin. Kill the bard =)

But really, a Paladin is probably going to be your best choice for a front-line build. Alternatively, you can go Summoner, use your Eidolon as a melee attacker and build your summoner for ranged attacks.

For the maximum amount of damage while taking advantage of your ability to fly, go with a Two Handed Fighter with a Reach Weapon, use Fly by Attack and Vital Strike. A Bardiche would be my weapon of choice.

I'm a big fan of Strix Rangers as well, due to the Favored Class bonus being a boost to your bond with your team. If planned out well, you can really boost the damage output of your entire party. You can also go 2-Handed with a Bardiche with this build, but you're going to have to be more careful with your feat selection.

So if you want to play a Kitsune Ninja you can wind up as a really good fighter AND have a ton of fun as an infiltration specialist at the same time. It's a path I highly recommend.

For combat, just go with a standard 2-Weapon Fighter build. The trick pick up Ninja Trick: Vanish and then at level 10 pick up Invisible Blade for multiple rounds of Greater Invisibility to land sneak attacks in. It's a great way to make sure you get those extra damage dice in for some reliable, high damage.

For infiltration, you're going to want the feat Realistic Likeness, which let's you assume the shape of any individual you've encountered and gives you a +10 on Disguise checks to fool others with your impersonation. Since you can choose Rogue Talents along with Ninja Tricks, look at grabbing Minor Magic then Major Magic to pick up Vocal Alteration twice/day. Use to mimic the voice of the person you're impersonating and you get another +10 on that Disguise check =P. Alternatively you could use wands for Vocal Alteration, but the effects won't last as long and you'll have to be careful when you recast the spell. Even so, an investment of a feat and a couple of rogue talents / ninja tricks is a good trade for +20 on disguise checks and nearly perfect shape shifting.

You may also want to look into ways to learn additional languages. Training Linguistics isn't a bad idea and has the bonus of letting you forge documents. Dipping a few levels into Sorcerer would also give you access to some spells to help you with infiltration tactics, as well some useful bloodline abilities. You'll want to fight with just a single weapon in that case though, as your BAB will suffer.