So I would like a class breakdown for all the different archer type characters.
Fighter with and without archer archetype
Ranger and any archetype
Zen Archer
Any Im not thinking of
I have a newer player who wants to play an archer that lays out the damage.
He was thinking a Slayer but I told him of the difficulties I have seen as a GM and a player with Ranged Sneak Attacks so he asked my advice on an archer.
So I am going to ask the most knowledgeble group I know the Paizo Boards
Thanks
Does it have to be a long/shortbow or can crossbow/sling/slingstaff etc be included?
Because with crossbow added Bolt Ace Gunslinger is pretty win.
Based on the player identifying the Slayer first, I'm going to do my best to uphold the idea and let the player play what initially grabbed his/her attention.
I think it's pretty well know that any archer is going to lay down more damage than almost any other party member, so I don't think you need to plan too meticulously to make sure the newer player has enough oomph.
A slayer archer doesn't need to rely on sneak attack at all, and can pretty much ignore it while still contributing more damage than anyone but some of the barbarian builds (or a few other archers). The Gang Up feat is INCREDIBLY easy to build for, and as long as there are two melee in your party you will see plenty of opportunity to use it
(http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fn#v5748eaic9n87 to see the FAQ where they say it's allowed)
Shatter defenses along with the countless ways to achieve intimidation are another way to get this going, and don't forget about the Goz mask + any sort of fog cloud effect.
I think you can safely run slayer without issue, and frankly archer slayers are awesome without the need of sneak attack. Finally Slayers have the ability to take some of the initiative/surprise rogue talents, which let him land sneak attack openers regardless.
EDIT
So I dont see how this helps
And according to your own link
Gang Up: Does this feat (page 161) allow you to flank a foe with ranged weapons?
The Gang Up feat allows you to count as flanking so long as two of your allies are threatening your opponent. The feat makes no mention of ranged attacks being included, and since flanking specifically refers to melee attacks, ranged attacks do not benefit from this feat. (JMB, 8/13/10)
I guess I should have read the rest of the statement, oh well. Still plenty of ways to get that sneak attack.
I must be mixing Gang Up with a different feat.
I think the easiest archer to get rolling is the Zen Archer Monk. The primary problem is your stat allocation (that's the basic problem with the monk) but in terms of feats and features, it more or less gives you all of the important ones.
The first six levels of the ZAM give you: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus, Point-Blank Master, Weapon Specialization, Improved Precise Shot, a Ki Pool, and 2 Qinggong abilities (Barkskin and Truestrike are good choices), on top of your 3 (4 if human) feats you can spend on whatever else.
For a newer player that wants to dish out damage, I'd stick with the fighter. It's simple, and the damage and accuracy are consistently high, rather than changing based on what you're fighting or whether you use ki, etc.