Ifrit smoke assassin for PFS

[PeteZero]

As I just got an ifrit boon, I needed to decide what to do, so, an ifrit smoke ninja came to mind, throwing shuriken into the smoke. And with concealment, every shuriken does sneak attack damage.

Ifrit Ninja
STR 13 DEX 18 CON 12 INT 10 WIS 8 CHA 16
Feats: Firesight, Point blank shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Distance Thrower, Far Shot

Traits: reactionary/indomitable faith
Tactics: Use smokestick or smokebomb and throw shuriken into the cloud (with Flurry of Stars), with total concealment sneak attack is used for every attack.

Back-up weapon: wakizashi for close combat and short bow
Armor: Mithril Chain Shirt and Darkwood Buckler

Tricks: Flurry of Stars, smoke bomb, pressure points, offensive defensive, vanishing trick

Any suggestions how to improve him? It might be useful to put weapon finesse in, but what to throw out?

[RainyDayNinja]

Interesting idea...

Since you need ranged combat feats, I'd recommend taking Combat Trick at 4th level, so you can have Smokebombs, Firesight, PBS, and Precise Shot online by then. Pressure Points and Offensive Defense could easily be dropped.

But keep in mind that you'll only be able to throw so many smoke bombs per day (even fewer if you use a Flurry of Stars). You should take either Deadly Aim or Weapon Finesse for those times you won't be able to get your ranged sneak attack.

[Imbicatus]

Just carry smokesticks, no need to waste ki on smoke bombs.

[RainyDayNinja]

Imbicatus wrote:

Just carry smokesticks, no need to waste ki on smoke bombs.

Smokestick smoke clouds are only 10 feet across, so an enemy can easily just step out of them.

[Jiggy]

PeteZero wrote:

And with concealment, every shuriken does sneak attack damage.

No, concealment gives you the opportunity to make a Stealth check, and if successful, your next attack (and only your next attack) gets Sneak Attack. Concealment does not automatically grant Sneak Attack.

Also, if your opponent has concealment (likely, if you're using clouds of smoke), then you can't deal Sneak Attack damage to them anyway. (Though I believe there's a feat that removes that restriction.)

Finally, a suggestion: mistmail. ;)

[Imbicatus]

Smoke Bombs are only 15 ft. And as an ifrit with fire sight using ranged attacks, you don't need the enemy to be in the smoke, just drop it at your feet so you have total concealment.

[EvilMinion]

If you are more then 5' from your target with smoke in between, you have total concealment from said target (just like being invisible).

At which point, all the sneak attack stuff comes online.

(Jiggy, check out the Firesight ifrit-only feat, that's the important one for this build)

[PeteZero]

Sounds good. So for feat and trick distribution along this line?

Feats: 1st Firesight, 3rd precise shot, 5th weapon finesse, 7th Rapid Shot, 9th Distance Thrower, 11th Far Shot

Tricks: 2nd combat trick (point blank shot) 4th smoke bomb, 6th Flurry of Stars, 8th vanishing trick

Could also take flurry of stars eaerlier (at 4th)

And get sniper goggles.

[Jiggy]

EvilMinion wrote:

If you are more then 5' from your target with smoke in between, you have total concealment from said target (just like being invisible).

At which point, all the sneak attack stuff comes online.

(Jiggy, check out the Firesight ifrit-only feat, that's the important one for this build)

Oh! Yeah, that changes things. :)

[XMorsX]

You could also dip 2 lvls of monk, so that you can flurry with shurikens, which stacks with rapid shot and replaces the TWF feats. With Hungry ghost archetype you can also take Punishing Kick, so that you can throw them away from you when you cannot 5-foot away.

Your main issue is that you need someone to cast greater magic weapon on them or your shurickens will become ineffective after the first lvls.

[RainyDayNinja]

XMorsX wrote:

Your main issue is that you need someone to cast greater magic weapon on them or your shurickens will become ineffective after the first lvls.

Or you could squeeze Arcane Strike in there somewhere, which will boost the damage and get you past DR/magic.

[LoneKnave]

If you want unlimited smokebombs, you could dip Daggermark-poisoner. It gets a no-ki version of smokebomb at second level. Easy requirements, but otherwise it's kinda meh.

EDIT: Wow, I haven't noticed that he has a restriction on them until now. This sucks. Silly me.

[PeteZero]

Maybe arcane strike instead of far shot. Would be at least an option.

[Bigdaddyjug]

Why not just do this with a bow? You could swap out a composite shortbow for the shuriken and do more damage with the same feat loadout. And you could drop Flurry of Stars trick for something more useful like Offensive Defensive or Pressure Points.