So my adventuring party is almost at 7th level.
I am torn between several feats.
Any suggestions or thoughts would be helpful.
Here is an overview of my character.
Corvus Corvidae
Tengu Zen Archer Monk 6
Lawful Neutral
Str 10
Dex 16
Con 10
Int 12
Wis 22 (headband)
Chr 8
Acrobatics +13 (+27 jump)
Climb +12 (wisdom of the flesh trait)
Fly +12
Perception +21
Sense Motive +14
Stealth +14
FEATS: (monk*)
Perfect Strike (6/day)*
Imp. Unarmed Strike*
Weapon Focus (longbow)*
Weapon Specialization (longbow)*
Point Blank Master*
Point Blank Shot*
Precise Shot*
Imp. Precise Shot*
Improved Initiative
Deadly Aim (-2att / +4dmg)
Tengu Wings (fly 1xday 6 minutes)
So I was thinking between Spider Step, Monkey Style or Big Game Hunter.
I like the fact that he can fly & his jump skill is crazy good.
Spider Step seems flavorful & fun, but redundant later on.
Monkey Style helps acrobatics & has some neat benefits, but is it needed?
BGH is nice, & static bonuses are always good. We have fought large critters already.
I plan on taking Vital Strike at 9th level.
Any thoughts to the three feats at 7th? Any other suggestions? I like that he is versatile in getting around and later levels that gets better so I wanna take a feat that will be the most beneficial in the long run.
Thanks for reading & suggesting!
Between those choices, I really like BGH. At level 7 and up your going to run into more and more larger sized foes. That fact alone makes it a very good choice for the recurring often bonuses. Also, since by those levels you already have about 3-4 attacks if using ki for extra attack, and 5 attacks if hasted, that's easily another 6-10 damage a round.
Monkey style is nice to have, although if your playing a zen archer well enough you should know better than to get into the fray of things if possible. So having the bpnuses to acrobatics is nice, but not exactly crucial. Then again neither is a little extra damage, but at those levels you need all the extra damage you can dish out.
I'm also currently playing a zen archer right now, so I can understand some of the frustration. Monls are Swiss army knives, lots of utility, but no real focus. Luckily the archetype help out, and zen archer is like a laser beam with focus. And even then there are a multitude to play it out.
If possible I recommend being a qingong monk as well, but if you already started, then its too late now unfortunately. If you can't, clustered shots will be probably the biggest boost the zen archer will get. Considering your damage is coming from a lot of attacks, with less damage, versus the bigger hit builds with less attacks, DR is going to be more problematic for a zen archer than probably any other build (sohei FAQ ruling barring). It'll count all of your attacks as one hit for DR purposes. So instead of having, 5 attacks do 12 damage each on a DR 5 enemy, taking off 25 damage, and having you deal only 35, you now deal 60-5 damage= 55 damage. Nice power boost indeed. A better option than Bgh tough might be Hammer the Gap feat. Since you have so many more attacks than the rest of the party practically, utilize it to your advantage. For each additional attack that hits after the first, you gain a cumulative +1 damage per hot. Of one of your attacks misses, you start the bonuses over, while still keeping the previous ones of any. This is superior typically to BGH because it applies to everything, not just big enemies. High recommendation after clustered shots.
Hope this helps. Running out the door right now actually to play in my weekly game. Have fun!
Of those choices, I'd pick Monkey Style. You want to full attack even more than a normal archer because your full BAB *depends* on it, so spending a move action to stand is a major drag (and you can't shoot a bow prone).
Your 9th level feat should be Clustered Shots. In fact, you should ask the DM to let you take Clustered Shots at 7th level. It requires BAB +6 and can only be used when full attacking. Any time at all you full attack, you have full BAB. Waiting until level 9 for it because you lack the BAB to qualify for it in the moments you couldn't use it anyway (because you're not full attacking) is silly.
