Playtest today, Saturday November 23rd
Group was-
Human Paladin 2, going sorcerer so higher charisma than anything
Half-Elf Ranger 1, Archer focus
Half-Elf Slayer 1, Dual Wielding Short Swords
Neither side was using 'optimal' build or tactics, but neither did either side pull any punches. Warpriest did have time to prepare buffs.
Simple 30ft by 30ft arena, with spikes on the walls to add 1d6 damage to any bullrushes or the like.
Round 1- versus level 3 Dwarf Warpriest.
Slayer marked her target and moved in for a swing. Then got knocked down by that warhammer's massive damage. Paladin moved to heal, and the rest of the battle was mostly a slugfest- the Dwarf's healing wasn't enough to save him from 3 PC's, though he did nearly gib the melee two.
Warpriest Buffs- Unholy Blessing.
Round 2- versus level 4 Dwarf Warpriest.
Very different. Party won init, so they all moved first- Slayer did the same as last, but paladin was able to smite and attack right away. Cleave from the bonus feats managed to knock off a LOT of hit points, and only a lucky stabilize from the Slayer and the Ranger providing some close-range meat shielding allowed victory.
Warpriest Buffs- Sacred Weapon, Shield of Faith, Unholy Blessing.
Impressions-
At low levels, the slayer, especially a two-weapon wielder, can be an amazing close combat machine. That generic +1 bonus means it can pick a target and stab away with perhaps as much or better efficiency than some fighter builds, but lower in any singular combat than a barbarian.
The warpriest has a LOT of bonus feats along with additional damage sources- I feel it easily outpaced anything a cleric, fighter or even barbarian could do in this situation.
Overall, the Warpriest mostly lost only because of three-on-one tactics; and even then, he could have won it handily if he'd rolled slightly higher on his second cleave in round 2. I feel it may be too strong with all the bonus feats. The Slayer, however, seemed fair for a melee-focused character at starting level.
Hope to have more next week on the Slayer!