Let me open up by saying that Tactical Feats are way cool. They encourage teamwork and contribution from every member of the party - go, team!
(They also let GMs make beautifully coordinated tactical strike forces to send after their players. Go, team!)
A niche that seemed to be lacking, though, was a feat that allowed melee characters and ranged characters to work together more effectively. I only noticed the lack of this niche, though, because I have a roleplay reason to - I have a melee character that, over the course of the adventure, has become rather close with another party member, who's an archer. I think it'd be way cool to represent the bond of their friendship through good combined tactics.
What do you, Paizoteers, think would be a good, balanced way to let ranged characters and melee characters work together?
I have a suggestion, but it may be a bit unbalanced...
If the melee character is threatening a creature's space, the ranged character can also be treated as threatening the creature's space for the purposes of flanking and attacks of opportunity - but only if the ranged character does not attempt to attack any other target or take any action that doesn't involve this creature. Otherwise, the characters lose the benefit of this feat until the ranged character attempts to attack the creature again (or otherwise draws their attention back to the target, such as readying an action to attack).
This lets melee and ranged characters coordinate their efforts - if the target tries to retreat or cast a spell, they'll not only have to deal with a sword attack, but an arrow as well. This also lets rogues use their ranged friends to harass targets - a pair of archery rogues can switch between close combat and ranged combat, both of them getting their sneak attack as long as they stay on opposite sides (and stay away from other opponents).
Director of Games
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I thought about a few feats that worked exactly this way, but there are some issues..
One of the design principles in play here is that the tactical feat gives you a bonus, not someone else. Since they are required to have it, they will get a bonus as well, but we threw a monkey wrench in the works with the Inquisitor's Solo Tactics ability...
Just some thoughts.. by all means discuss.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
A better melee/ranged mix is a feat that allows the ranged attacker to ignore firing into melee penalties from melee allies with the same feat. So if the only people in melee combat with the archers/ranged touch person's (with this feat) target has the same feat. no Melee penalty is assessed.
Isn't there a Feat that does just that... but doesn't require your Allies also have matching Feats?
But to the OP's topic...
I could see a Feat applying a signifigant AC boost vs. enemy AoO attempts if an Ally is Flanking said enemy with you... Basically an extension of Flanking to work defensively as well as offensively... And said Feat could tie into the Tactical Feat that enhances the Flanking Attack Bonus to also apply to this AC bonus. ...Thinking it over, it should probably also apply said bonus to any Tumbling attempts to avoid an AoO in the first place.
Well, since you both threaten the square, you can flank - so both of you would get a bonus. Also, abilities that require you to have an ally threatening your space (I.E. a Rogue's Opportunist ability) would be usable, even if your partner's not even that close to you.
If you have Solo Tactics, and the archer is attacking your current target, you could position yourself to flank. Alternately, if you're the archer, you can make attacks of opportunity and get flanking bonuses on your target from afar. It benefits you either way.
Perhaps a range limit would be in order (Say, 50 feet or so) to keep things from getting silly.
A better melee/ranged mix is a feat that allows the ranged attacker to ignore firing into melee penalties from melee allies with the same feat. So if the only people in melee combat with the archers/ranged touch person's (with this feat) target has the same feat. no Melee penalty is assessed.Isn't there a Feat that does that... but doesn't lay any requirements that your Allies also have matching Feats?
Yeah, Precise Shot. In fact, having Precise Shot would be pretty crucial to this new feat's strategy.
Ive always wanted a feat, maybe a tactic feat or an archery feat, that allowed a ranged person to gain a flank bonus on an enemy who is getting attacked by an ally.
For Instance: a Figher Is in melee with an ogre. On the other side of the Ogre Ranger is about 20 or 30ft away using a bow to attack. With either a tactical feat or a combat feat, if the ranger is within 30ft and still lined up for the flank as per the normal rule (exact opposite side of the monster as an allY) he would gain the Flank bonus.
This also would bring archers a bit closer in to the fight so they have some sense of danger or a monster charging or attacking them up close.
Perhaps a range limit would be in order (Say, 50 feet or so) to keep things from getting silly.
That would be absolutely minimum. ...I'm just rather dubious of allowing Ranged Flanks...
I DO think there's alot more opportunities for Tactical Feats, including ones working with Ranged allies somehow or another. I could see a Tactical Feat allowing a Flanking Ally with a Bow to be able to get off a Standard Attack shot (with Flanking Bonus) without provoking... The AoO-avoidance Tactical Feat I mentioned could certainly apply to AoO's provoked by Ranged Attacks within Threat Range as well as Movement-provocation.
Perhaps a range limit would be in order (Say, 50 feet or so) to keep things from getting silly.That would be absolutely minimum. ...I'm just rather dubious of allowing Ranged Flanks...
I DO think there's alot more opportunities for Tactical Feats, including ones working with Ranged allies somehow or another. I could see a Tactical Feat allowing a Flanking Ally with a Bow to be able to get off a Standard Attack shot (with Flanking Bonus) without provoking... The AoO-avoidance Tactical Feat I mentioned could certainly apply to AoO's provoked by Ranged Attacks within Threat Range as well as Movement-provocation.
Mutual Ranged Flanking is already disallowed - one of you has to threaten the square "for real" for the other to get the bonus, which can only happen in melee.
I have to correct the original poster, there are no ranged attack tactical feats at all. While putting together my archer inquisitor I finished building him then realized I'd forgotten 2 tactical feats. So I scan through them and there is almost nothing in there for an archer... considering the class seems like a natural archer the tactical feats don't compliment the class well at all. Even the caster feats are kind of blah for a inquisitor, you are rarely going to be try to overcome SR... the Combat casting would probably be helpful. As long as you have allies nearby you get free combat casting feat.
I think most of the time I would use lookout and duck and cover so I would get a second chance at initiative and reflex saves.
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A better melee/ranged mix is a feat that allows the ranged attacker to ignore firing into melee penalties from melee allies with the same feat. So if the only people in melee combat with the archers/ranged touch person's (with this feat) target has the same feat. no Melee penalty is assessed.
Most ranged characters will usually have Point blank / precise shot, so I don't see this as really being a benefit. Why make all the melee take a feat when you only need to take one yourself?
I'd say allow the range to ignore any concealment or partial cover that melee is involved with, but that's also similar to Improved precise shot.
Perhaps allow flanking if the archer is within 30'?
Even the caster feats are kind of blah for a inquisitor, you are rarely going to be try to overcome SR...
But decent for Caster Ally of Inquisitor, gaining extra stacking Spell Penetration when adjacent to Inquisitor (who took this Feat mainly to support their Full Caster Ally).
I think most of the time I would use lookout and duck and cover so I would get a second chance at initiative and reflex saves.
Duck & Cover is another aspect that makes me think the "Low Reflex + Evasion" (but not Imp. Evasion) actually can "work" for the Inquisitor. ...It sort of makes them "halfway" between other Low Reflex Save Classes and Classes with (Full) Evasion (w/ Good Reflex Saves).