Karkol's page

... PF2 needs to be played tactically for your character to be very successful. You can probably get by if the rest of your party plays tactically, but they will succeed in spite of you, not because of you...

Pure damage is not the way to go for all characters. In a five or six PC party, having one martial go for pure damage is probably okay... as the other four/five will help set you up. Four or less... no; you have to help set yourself up, and everybody else.

This is built right into the game, and the Game Authors tell you so in many places if you care to look.

Simple example: For two actions a Fighter with Greatsword can: make a d12 + Str attack, and another d12 + Str attack at -5 MAP.

or

Slam Down, 4th level Fighter feat. Slam Down takes two actions, so instead of the above, you get a d12 + Str attack, and then an Athletics check _without_ the -5 to knock your opponent prone. This helps all party members (including yourself) by making the opponent prone/off guard. It makes the opponent waste an action getting up, and it subjects him to a Reactive Strike from you when he rises.

A melee flurry ranger with the barbarian Archtype and Dragon Instinct feat (two feats required) striking with a falcata and light hammer whilst raging:

1 First action - Twin strike. d8 weapon (Fatal d12) +8 damage, plus d6 weapon +6 damage at MAP -2. All damage is spirit or force.

2 Second action - d6 weapon +6 damage at MAP -4. Spirit/force damage.

3 Third action - d6 weapon +6 damage at MAP -4. Spirit/force damage.

It's not as much damage as a greatsword, etc. But the -2/-4/-4 MAP means you hit & crit a lot more than three swings at 0/-5/-10.

Twin Takedown is where a melee Flurry Ranger really shines. Presuming you are next to your opponent and Hunted Prey last round, you get two strikes from Twin Take down at 0/-3 (-2 if the second weapon is agile), then two more strikes at -6/-4 agile.

It's hard to set up, but minimal MAP means you can pass out a _lot_ of damage.

What's wrong with a melee character using a gauntlet as his second hand weapon? Yes, it is a d4 weapon instead of a d6, but it's agile and still leaves you with an open hand.

As a Flurry Ranger, I occasionally punch someone with my offhand gauntlet when I don't have an action to spare for drawing an offhand weapon.

I took in the Cleric dedication because it let me have Prestidigitation. It clears all the salt out of my feathers after a dip in the briny! My whole clan is pretty much followers of Gozreh anyway...

I am not that enamored of the Ranger feats, and will spring for the basic Dogma/Expanded Cantrip feat, allowing me to prepare four of the five cantrips I know (marked with the *):

* Detect Magic
* Prestidigitation
Read Aura
* Shield
* Stabilize

If you go with a Charisma Swashbuckler, you could also go with a Sorcerer Archtype and pick up real magic. The Archtype starts with two cantrips... But spells cost actions (usually two) and gaining Panache takes an action, which leads to a 'this round bounce around, next round use spells' result. Hmmm, maybe gain Panache, then don't use it; make use of the abilities that come when you have Panache long term (+AC?). Then, cast a spell and do something martial with remaining action(s).

Or, if not married to the idea of a Swashbuckler, a melee Flurry Ranger. with a chicken (bird) Animal Companion. The chicken really _is_ talking to you...

Actually, I tend to get more mileage out of the fact that I take a chamois cloth and small tin of wax and buff my beak regularly. It glint's just like the teeth of a charming Bard.

I would never actually attack anything with my beak, that would scuff it up!

As a Tengu, I'd like to point out that I proudly strut my tailfeathers in non-combat situations. Alas! they have no combat value, and I must rely upon my katana and gauntleted fist (Flurry Ranger).

Just as a note, you might want to get a silver hatchet, and a cold iron hatchet, then transfer the +1 striking runes to them. At level seven you have access to standard (middle) grade cold iron and silver, at about 250 GP per bulk... a hatchet is bulk 'L', so it costs you 25 GP for one.

As an added bonus, get an Adamantine gauntlet for one hand; 350 GP per bulk , so 35 for one hand. If you run into constructs, etc, you drop/sheath the hatchet and start punching. First available at level eight.