PFS halfling Archaeologist

[zauriel56]

My concept is a luck based halfling archaeologist archer.

Str- 10
Dex- 16
Con- 13
Int- 14
Wis- 10
Cha- 16

Traits- Fate's Favored, Maestro of the Society

Adaptable Luck Alternate Racial Trait

Spells-
0th- Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation, Read Magic
1st- Silent Image, Sleep

Feats- Arcane Strike

Use skills to focus on knowledges, spellcraft, Perception, and use magic device.

This is just a first level concept, any ideas or recommendations?

[revaar]

Swap Arcane strike for Lingering Performance. I'm currently playing an Arch-Bard in Shattered Star, and the ability to extend your luck rounds by 3 times is invaluable.

[RainyDayNinja]

Ooph, you're going to be really feat-starved. As in, your archery will probably suck for most of your PFS career. You might consider a level or 2 in Fighter for the bonus feats, or a level in Divine Hunter for the free Precise Shot (or even another level for Cha to saves).

[Jiggy]

revaar wrote:

Swap Arcane strike for Lingering Performance. I'm currently playing an Arch-Bard in Shattered Star, and the ability to extend your luck rounds by 3 times is invaluable.

Especially considering Archaeologists don't gain rounds as they level.

Also, to be an archer, getting Precise Shot (which in turn requires Point-Blank Shot) is pretty much required. This means that just to do your thing, you need a total of 3 feats. That's 5th level.

My suggestion would be to start with a level of fighter. You'll have 2 feats at first level, so you can get PBS/PrS out of the way. You're immediately functional as an archer.

Then, at 3rd, you can pick up Lingering Performance to get your buffing routine online.

Otherwise, this is gonna be rough. :/

[zauriel56]

After some research I'm changing to an aasimar cuz there favored class bonus would allow me to be considered half a level higher every time i take it. 2 levels of fighter and 8 of arch-bard would make me considered 12th level in terms of my archaeologist luck. Giving my archaeologist +3, +1 from Fate's favored, so +4 luck bonus to about all rolls at 10th level.
Is arcane strike worth it for the +1 to damage at 5th level?

1- Point-Blank Shot and Precise Shot
2- Deadly Aim
3- Lingering performance
5- Arcane Strike?
7- Rapid Shot or extra performance
9- the other one

[RainyDayNinja]

Pick up Lingering Performance before Arcane Strike. Tripling your rounds of Luck is better than +1 to damage (it won't scale up to +2 until level 7 anyway, unless you squeeze Magical Knack in there somehow).

[zauriel56]

I forgot about the 2 rogue tricks I get, any suggestions?

[Imbicatus]

If you are changing to aasimar your SLA means your caster level is your character level for arcane strike, so it's +2 to damage at level 5.

[Imbicatus]

zauriel56 wrote:

I forgot about the 2 rogue tricks I get, any suggestions?

Finesse rogue so you can hit something if you are forced to melee.

[revaar]

Imbicatus wrote:

zauriel56 wrote:

I forgot about the 2 rogue tricks I get, any suggestions?

Finesse rogue so you can hit something if you are forced to melee.

Ditto, also, combat trick for Imp. Precise Shot, Many Shot, or Clustered Shots for your 2nd trick.

[Rory]

This uses the OP's halfling build as a basis (exceptions noted below).

Feats:
Lingering Performance (1st)
Point Blank Shot (3rd)
Rapid Shot (4th - Rogue Talent: Combat Trick)
Precise Shot or Deadly Aim (5th)
Precise Shot or Deadly Aim (7th)

You'll have ~21 rounds of Archaeologist's Luck at level 1. This will be plenty for PFS to be able to use it every combat round except in the most extreme cases.

Arcane Strike and Archaeologist's Luck both use swift actions. There is a conflict here negating a lot of usability of Arcane Strike.

You can delay Precise Shot as it is only a -4 to hit penalty and you can stack to hit bonuses with what you are doing. You potentially can skip this feat altogether due to all the to hit you can muster. Remember, it only applies to targets in melee, so it doesn't help 100% of the time at all anyways.

Levels 1 thru 3 are going to be pretty meager damage. Be prepared for that.

1st level:

+6 to hit = +0 BAB + 3 DEX + 1 size + 2 luck bonus
+2 to hit shooting into melee

shortbow 1d4+2 (+2 luck)

2nd level:

- short bow should be MW at least, probably after adventure #1

+8 to hit = +1 BAB + 3 DEX + 1 size + 2 luck bonus + 1 weapon
+4 to hit shooting into melee

shortbow 1d4+2 (+2 luck)

3rd level:

- upgrade the shortbow to +1

+10 to hit = +2 BAB + 3 DEX + 1 size + 2 luck bonus + 1 weapon, +1 PBS
+6 to hit shooting into melee

shortbow 1d4+4 (+2 luck + 1 PBS +1 weapon)

4th level:

- use Heroism spell (10 minutes per level buff) on self for a +2 morale bonus to hit
- buy +2 DEX Belt

+12/+12 to hit = +3 BAB + 4 DEX + 1 size + 2 luck bonus + 1 weapon + 1 PBS - 2 Rapid Shot + 2 morale
+8/+8 to hit shooting into melee

2x shortbow 1d4+4 (+2 luck + 1 PBS +1 weapon)

5th level:

- use Heroism spell (10 minutes per level buff) on self for a +2 morale bonus to hit

+12/+12 to hit = +3 BAB + 4 DEX + 1 size + 3 luck bonus + 1 weapon + 1 PBS - 2 Rapid Shot + 2 morale - 1 Deadly Aim
+8/+8 to hit shooting into melee

2x shortbow 1d4+7 (+3 luck + 1 PBS +1 weapon + 2 Deadly Aim)

6th level:

- use Heroism spell (10 minutes per level buff) on self for a +2 morale bonus to hit
- upgrade bow to +2

+13/+13 to hit = +4 BAB + 4 DEX + 1 size + 3 luck bonus + 2 weapon + 1 PBS - 2 Rapid Shot + 2 morale - 2 Deadly Aim
+9/+9 to hit shooting into melee

2x shortbow 1d4+10 (+3 luck + 1 PBS +2 weapon + 4 Deadly Aim)

7th level:

- use Heroism spell (10 minutes per level buff) on self for a +2 morale bonus to hit
- buy a Ring of Spell Knowledge II (teach it Scorching Ray)
- buy Goblins War Drums

+14/+14 to hit = +5 BAB + 4 DEX + 1 size + 3 luck bonus + 2 weapon + 1 PBS - 2 Rapid Shot + 2 morale - 2 Deadly Aim
+14/+14 to hit shooting into melee

2x shortbow 1d4+10 (+3 luck + 1 PBS +2 weapon + 4 Deadly Aim)

OR

+16/+16 to hit touch AC = +5 BAB + 4 DEX + 1 size + 3 luck bonus + 1 PBS + 2 morale
+16/+16 to hit touch AC shooting into melee

2x scorching ray 4d6+8 (+3 luck + 1 PBS + 4 Goblin War Drums)