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Been sticking with toughness till I reached lvl 2, but the question now is which feat should I take instead?
I'm also curious if any of you would advice me to take "Armor of the Pit"?
I don't know if it'll be worthless due to magic items later making the +2 to natural armor worthless...(Hopefully it'll still work since it doesn't say enchantment bonus like the other stuff usually do)
Also out of curiosity which feats would you guys take on a Onispawned Zen archer?
If you can use the Local feat Noble Scion (not the one on d20pfsrd it removed it for reasons I do not fathom; check archives of nethys), there is an option for house...Narikopolus (spelling?) that gives +2 damage with a bow rated to your strength and can only be taken at level 1. It makes a good level 1 Zen Archer feat if you can get it. Otherwise... It gets tougher. Perhaps get a style feat, or work towards one you like. Not many are useful to a zen archer (crane was, but since the crane wing nerf, it is not), I guess Monkey Style is decent (can't shoot a bow while prone, after all). Also consider Additional Traits, since many traits are better than half a feat (or even a whole feat), so another 2 of them is handy. Stuff like Dangerously Curious, Lessons of Chaldira, Defensive Strategist, Wisdom in the Flesh, Fate's Favored... Most of those are religion traits and you can only pick one of them, though.
Level 3 is Deadly Aim.
Level 9 is Clustered Shots, if it's not your level 7 (the only time you can possibly use it, you have full BAB and thus meet the +6 requirement)...
If there's another archer in the party, Target of Opportunity is a great teamwork feat. It won't let you use ki the next round for an extra shot, but on the other hand...it gives you an extra shot w/0 having to spend ki. Lookout is also a good teamwork feat if you can coordinate with the other player.
Your bonus feats are pretty simple until level 10.
1: Precise Shot
2: Point Blank Shot (unless you took it at 1)
6: Improved Precise Shot
10: Imp. Crit, Snatch Arrows (good mainly b/c it gives Deflect as well for free), Parting Shot, Pinpoint Targeting, and Shot on the Run are all equally mediocre to decent.
Do not bother with the Snap Shot line unless your DM houserules them. It requires burning two completely worthless feats and doesn't pay off till BAB +9 (Improved Snap Shot), which...you'll have to wait for longer than ranger and fighter despite being the only one with a similar class feature already.
Monkey style - monkey style, full round flurry shoot, drop prone (free action), beginning of next turn stand up (monkey), flurry, drop prone...
Since you're a Tiefling you can take Arcane Strike. The extra damage is always nice for an as-many-hits-as-possible style like archery.
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If you can use the Local feat Noble Scion (not the one on d20pfsrd it removed it for reasons I do not fathom; check archives of nethys), there is an option for house...Narikopolus (spelling?) that gives +2 damage with a bow rated to your strength and can only be taken at level 1. It makes a good level 1 Zen Archer feat if you can get it.
Absolutely take it if your GM (or campaign) lets you -- shooting arrows is pretty much ALL a Zen does (beyond creepy RP stuff OoC), such you'll get near 100% mileage out of the feat; and you can also delay the annoying Deadly Aim.
-- Don't forget the Adaptive property for your bow.
Also consider Additional Traits, since many traits are better than half a feat (or even a whole feat), so another 2 of them is handy. Stuff like Dangerously Curious, Lessons of Chaldira, Defensive Strategist, Wisdom in the Flesh, Fate's Favored...
I'm guessing he has a CHA-penalty with an oni-spawn, so Dangerously isn't so good. Wisdom in the Flesh isn't that useful to monks since they have all the non-rogue physical stats except for the DEX-based fly. Fate's Favored is hard to make pay off (how does Zen reliably acquire a luck bonus prior to having 20k spare cash laying around?). Defensive Strategist has some merit...in comes down to how much you worry about being flat-footed in surprise rounds (which shouldn't be that often for Zens). Lessons of Chaldira is banned (as of 2012, anyway) in PFS.
1: Precise Shot
2: Point Blank Shot (unless you took it at 1)
6: Improved Precise Shot
10: Imp. Crit, Snatch Arrows (good mainly b/c it gives Deflect as well for free), Parting Shot, Pinpoint Targeting, and Shot on the Run are all equally mediocre to decent.
I'd do...
traits: Honored Fist of the Society (if PFS),
01 [Precise Shot], Noble Scion: Narikopolus
02 Deflect Arrows*
03 Weapon Focus:Longbow
05 Deadly Aim (now you take it, after blinging up attack-bonus)
...etc.
Equipment: adaptive (+1000) greenwood (+150) or whipwood (+500) composite longbow STR+X (+X00), Fortifying Stone (1000)
(*An extremely underrated feat, as it de-facto scales with level since enemy attacka will increase in damage; as your AC tends to lag and you never use Ki for AC -- and given you're more likely to be targeted by ranged attacks then your high-AC melee or hiding/invisible caster allies -- you need this.)
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@StreamOfTheSky
Noble scion sounds nice, but trying to aim for pfs leagal so probably not allowed :(
Though I could see it potentially fitting the character's birthright, I don't think it would fit to well into his grown up story.
Monkey style and additional traits both sound potential, going deadly aim for lvl 3 for sure :)
i'll try staying away from the snapshot line, was considering the Vital strike and devestating strike line if I can't find something fitting better with fob.
@Renegadeshepherd
I'd like to take the barkskin, but won't it become worthless due to magic items granting better later?
@Kwauss
Being prone hmm... well I think i'd drop the snatch arrow option later on if I do go down this path.
@Arachnofiend
Looks like a nice feat, though I'd have to be able to cast arcane spells... Any class/archtype that grant monk lvls as well as arcane casting?
Edit:
@Sir Thugsalot
"Equipment: adaptive (+1000) greenwood (+150) or whipwood (+500) composite longbow STR+X (+X00), Fortifying Stone (1000)"
Sounds interesting, I haven't yet decided where to spend my gold.
I've found a "keen composite longbow+2 str" on another character, would an item like that be worth getting and could it be upgraded?
(Ideal for me is a +3 str bow)
my ability scores are:
str 16
dex 14
con 12
int 12
wis 18
cha 5
-- Don't forget the Adaptive property for your bow
I'm guessing he has a CHA-penalty with an oni-spawn, so Dangerously isn't so good. Wisdom in the Flesh isn't that useful to monks since they have all the non-rogue physical stats except for the DEX-based fly. Fate's Favored is hard to make pay off (how does Zen reliably acquire a luck bonus prior to having 20k spare cash laying around?). Defensive Strategist has some merit...in comes down to how much you worry about being flat-footed in surprise rounds (which shouldn't be that often for Zens). Lessons of Chaldira is banned (as of 2012, anyway) in PFS.
Absolutely, Adaptive property is important for all archers, even if only to protect against a slight loss of str (if you lose even +1 worth of your amount, you're now not syched with the rating on the bow and *also* eat a -2 penalty to hit) and not because you're getting strength buffs. Bracers of Falcon's Aim and getting Gravity Bow from...somewhere...are also good spell/equip items to aim for.
Fair enough, Dangerously Curious takes a while to accumulate the +19 bonus to be worth it. There is also Pragmatic Activator to use Int instead of Cha for UMD; might be better than +1 trait bonus and +3 class skill from dangerously curious.
Wisdom in the Flesh: You can use it to make Acrobatics wis-based, but since it's already a class skill, the best use is for Disable Device, if you wish to be the party "rogue."
Fate's Favored: The Jingasa of the Fortunate Soldier is like 5000 gp and gives +1 luck to AC and a 1/day crit negation, iirc. Even for just another +1 AC, it's a decent trait. Once you can afford the luck stone, it becomes great. Again...not all the examples are good for a low level game.
There's other great traits, I was just listing some off the top of my head.
I'd do...
traits: Honored Fist of the Society (if PFS),
01 [Precise Shot], Noble Scion: Narikopolus
02 Deflect Arrows*
03 Weapon Focus:Longbow
05 Deadly Aim (now you take it, after blinging up attack-bonus)
...etc.Equipment: adaptive (+1000) greenwood (+150) or whipwood (+500) composite longbow STR+X (+X00), Fortifying Stone (1000)
(*An extremely underrated feat, as it de-facto scales with level since enemy attacka will increase in damage; as your AC tends to lag and you never use Ki for AC -- and given you're more likely to be targeted by ranged attacks then your high-AC melee or hiding/invisible caster allies -- you need this.)
Zen Archer gets Weapon Focus at level 2 as a bonus feat. As for Deflect Arrows...it just doesn't come up that often in my experience. And you can get it packaged w/ Snatch Arrows if you just wait till level 10... In a game where enemy archers are common, it's much better.
@Renegadeshepherd
I'd like to take the barkskin, but won't it become worthless due to magic items granting better later?
@Arachnofiend
Looks like a nice feat, though I'd have to be able to cast arcane spells... Any class/archtype that grant monk lvls as well as arcane casting?Sounds interesting, I haven't yet decided where to spend my gold.
I've found a "keen composite longbow+2 str" on another character, would an item like that be worth getting and could it be upgraded?
(Ideal for me is a +3 str bow)my ability scores are:
str 16
dex 14
con 12
int 12
wis 18
cha 5
Barkskin later on just saves you money. Still better than the stuff you give up for it. I have a guide for Qinggong if you want. True Strike has less value to a zen archer, though... I rated it well for its use on combat maneuvers and the fact that you can take Quicken SLA feat on it later.
As for Arcane Strike, the Tiefling SLA qualifies you for it. Note that as a swift, you can't use it and a ki point for an extra attack, so you'll probably only be using it 1/2 or 2/3 (depending on how long your combats go) of the combat rounds. Still decent at least.
You can upgrade gear; keen wouldn't be one of the things I'd want on a bow, but it's not horrible. Just slap Adaptive on it for 1000 gp. I'm not sure if you can upgrade the str rating, but you should just use Adaptive anyway.
Stats look good.
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So "amulet of natural armor" won't make barkskin worthless?
If it does what would be a good alternative amulet?
Any suggestions for magic items which would be optimal for the character at these lvls:
3,5,7,12,20 ?
I keept fiendish resistance(rest of my racial traits are a given)
The traits I have:
Illuminator(for the situations i'm forced to make diplomacy rolls)
Prolong Magic(longer alter self is kinda nice imo)
@StreamOfTheSky
Thanks for the link to the qingong monk guide, I noticed you've also made one for the Zen archer.(which has already helped out on several areas)
Interesting, SLA qualifying me for it(Took a moment to get what sla was though ^^' )
Also regarding "Arcane Strike"
I guess it's nice to be able to use it, but I'd keep it as +1 all the way till the end game right? :/
It's kinda sad that Ki focus bow is at such a late lvl, I would have liked to have seen it combined with "Brother of the seal" for larger sized arrows... Unfortunately I don't think it would be possible unless one expect to play the character to lvl 25-30 area :/
Any suggestions for any other class/prestige classes to mix into the zen archer?
No, spell-like abilities that scale with your HD count your HD as your caster level. So Arcane Strike advances as normal.
Yeah, Zen Archer is good the first 6 levels, then it begins to peter out quickly. After level 8, all you have to really look forward to is Abundant Step and some Qinggong ki powers, until level 17 and Ki Focus bow suddenly means you can full attack with a stunning arrow, a serenity arrow, a punishing arrow, and a perfect strike arrow. All in the same turn, once per day per monk level. That's a biiiiig level gap that most campaigns never cross.
So, assuming you'll never see level 17 or won't see much of it, I always advise dumping Zen Archer after 6 levels, and coming back for 7-8 once you have enough BAB built up for the 2nd flurry attack at -5 to hit can reliably land.
Good candidates for multiclassing?
Fighter (Weapon Master for faster access to gloves of dueling, or Lore Warden for...it's just the best fighter archetype) is always solid.
Inquisitor offers Wisdom synergy, though it'll compete like crazy for those swift actions.
I've heard some people do 3 levels of Zen Archer for wis to attack, then go Sorcerer w/ Empyreal bloodline to be wis-based casting, and into Eldritch Knight and/or Arcane Archer. Not my cup of tea, but I suppose it works.
Ranger is a pretty similar class chassis, and would combine decently, though the bonus feats will not be too useful by the time you enter.
Something really different would be a (Mindchemist) Vivisectionist Alchemist. Get sneak attack, infusions, and a cognatogen to boost Wis.
Horizon Walker can be interesting...
If psionics is available, Psychic Warrior and Soulknife (or rather, Soulbolt / Soul Archer) combine well, though Soulknife kinda obsoletes a bunch of Zen Archer's benefits anyway.
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I took Arcane Strike and then retrained it later Big Game Hunter when I wasn't so worried about running out of Ki.
Sadly, BGH isn't PFS legal; at least I don't think it is.
All good advice above by the way - and all of it, when taken together exemplifies what I love about Zen Archer: you can use All of your level based feats for non-archery feats and still be the best Archer in your Party up to about level 12. Making it the best PFS Archer class for customization.
I went the Alertness/Snake Style route with my Zen as it lets me negate the rare attack that gets by my awesome AC & Touch AC.
You enter late into arcane archer by taking 1 level of empyreal sorcerer, which might be interesting.
BTW, forgot you can't take monkey at level 1...didn't pay attention to the question closely enough.