So I'm starting a game soon and knowing my players, they'll do something stupid and burn down a town or something. So I'm making a backup bounty hunter, focused on disarming then tripping them and knocking them out. He likes to take bounties alive, it's usually more money. I'm starting them off at 4th level, that's our norm usually, so I'll make the bounty hunter 6th. Thinking of fighter for the feats, and a sling to pick off casters. I'm going to give him the Halfling Stun-Gun (+1 Merciful Shock Sling) and either a +1 weapon and MWK armor or MWK weapon and +1 armor. Any other ideas I should entertain?
I really want to make him a hand-to-hand kinda guy but as far as I know there aren't any hand weapons (brass knuckle stuff) with trip or disarm and you take a -4 on disarming without a weapon (I might not use that, make that a general houserule). What weapons scream "Bounty Hunter" to you guys?
You should name him Mandalore the Great and give him a jetpack.
If you're a monk you are considered armed when not wielding a weapon and don't recieve the penalty to disarm.
I would strongly suggest a tetori grappling monk. You should be able to completely remove a single oppoent from combat and pin him into unconciousness before moving onto the next. Maybe throw in some net use to entangle opponents before you start grappling. And of course, this should be an ambush so he can throw the net on one PC on his surprise round and then move and throw a net on another. On the next round he starts grappling.
Not a bad idea but I've never like grapplers. Sure he could be part of a party, but I don't want him to win without giving the PCs a glimmer of hope.
Blade of Mercy + Enforcer! Its an intimidating combo.
Grapplers are nice, but need supporting crew to function.
Why not a ranger? FE is nice, you can use blades of mercy + enforcer, and if s/he's a half elf they can get a EWP with bolas, nets, whips or other weird stuff instead of the skill focus.
For disarming, you can use flails, chains and the like.
Here are a few different flavors:
Half Orc scout skulking slayer rogue with sap adept, sap master charges in for 6d8+12 sneak attack damage which could very well one-shot KO someone. Then vanish with the ninja trick and position yourself to do it again.
Your signature weapon is trap-setting as a trapper ranger and your animal companion helps in the hunt. Breeds paranoia.
You are the hunter with all of the cool toys. A grenadier alchemist using tanglefoot bombs as cone area attacks and lots of alchemical goodies before hulking out to clean up.
A huntmaster cavalier, order of the cockatrice with a hound. You intimidate everyone and then take them down.
Inquisitors can make good bounty hunters too, if you're wanting a more caster-y bent. They have the skills you need, too.
I personally want to try a ranger (falconer) bounty hunter that uses his bird to find people.
Nets could be useful, since they entangle and draw an AoO when the party wastes actions trying to get out. Having a weak underling that just throws nets could help make him more difficult. Since it hits for touch AC, there might not even be a need to get proficiency depending on their armor.