using Sneaking Precision at all! [PFS]

[ohako]

So, Sneaking Precision, how wacky are you?

Ultimate Combat wrote:

Sneaking Precision

Your knowledge of your enemies' vulnerable spots is especially punishing.
Prerequisites: Sneak attack class feature, Critical Focus, any critical feat, base attack bonus +9.
Benefit: Whenever you successfully sneak attack an opponent for a second time on your turn, you can spend a swift action to apply the effects of one critical feat you know to that opponent.

Okay, let's see.

a) You need a BaB of +11 in order to take the merest critical feat (Bleeding or Sickening)
b) For PFS, you'd want to take Sneaking Precision right at 11 in order for it to be useful for 3 sessions. This means you need to take two feats at level 11, which means (usually) a level of fighter right there.
c) you'll want sneak attack, and possibly TWF

There is exactly one way (I can think of) to get sneak attack and full BaB: the Low Templar. Which attaches its own set of criteria, involving being good at mounted combat.

So here's a setup

some full BaB class 5
Low Templar 5
fighter (or an archetype) 1

Feats
1st (Weapon Focus and Mounted Combat go somewhere in the first 3)
3rd
5th
7th
9th Critical Focus
11th (either Bleeding Critical or Sickening Critical), Sneaking Precision

So...fill in the blanks!

1. What full BaB class to take for the first 5 levels? A roughrider fighter maybe?
2. Which critical feat to take, Bleeding or Sickening?
3. Any other synergy or useful effect to be gained from the remaining 2 feats? (3 if human, 5 if roughrider, 6 if human roughrider) or from the other skill prerequisites of Low Templar?
4. Would it be worth it as a roughrider fighter to spend the feats for an Animal Ally?

[Imbicatus]

Slayer from the ACG should be your beginning class, or just pure Slayer and ignore Low Templar.

Slayer is a full BAB class that has Sneak attack on it's own, and can take ranger combat styles for the feats.

[ohako]

is it me, or is the style guide for the ACG basically 'make some classes, but make them more metal', right?

the bloodrager:

preview blog wrote:

loved the feeling of playing a character that basically felt like a character off the cover of an old heavy metal album

the skald:

preview blog wrote:

skalds are their metal cousins who channel the tales of poets with attitudes more like the Norse Bragi

the slayer

[Claxon]

Either slayer, or a ranger/rogue multiclass (how strange that slayer is exactly that!).

Ignore the dex requirements for TWF. Focus on strength. Have full BAB.

You'll still need that 11th level to be fighter though, because you wont gain two feats at level 11 like you need otherwise. And your character's career ends before he gets another.

Actually no, nevernmind. Multiclassing with rogue wont work because you lose BAB progression.

So yeah. Slayer is the only option for PFS pretty much.

[ohako]

yeah, that does kinda work better than Mr 'dirty tricks on a horse' guy.

...makes me wonder if there's some sneaky way in the ACG of qualifying for a Fire Music/Mystic Theurge build now.

[CptJackal]

I just came upon this feat today and I was going to use it with the Snakebite Striker archetype for Brawler. Full BAB, d10 hit die, free multiple attacks through flurry, and sneak attack as fast as a rogue (I believe Slayer gets a die every 3 instead of 2).

As for the critical feat I would go with Butterfly's Sting (Pathfinder Player Companion: Faiths of Purity), to give the party fighter a free critical that comes with it's own confirmation. plus you can get it without waiting till level 11.

Not sure how PFS works, so I don't know if is legal for those purposes

Edit: forget the part about not waiting till level 11

[Avoron]

Wow. Sneaking Precision and Butterfly's Sting. That's clever. That's really, really clever. Seems like that could be devastating.

You know, you count as your ally. You could always just flurry with a tri-bladed katar, which is a close weapon, and make every attack after the first a x4 crit.

[Imbicatus]

The faiths of purity version of Butterfly's Sting is not PFS legal, so no go there. Also the Tri-bladed Katar is not legal for PFS, being a 3.5 product that was never updated to PF:RPG rules.

[Charon's Little Helper]

A Snakebite Striker Brawler could also work, though I think in the long term the Slayer gets slightly more sneak attack.

[CptJackal]

oh, this would be devastating if you got a buddy with a vorpal weapon to come in after you (oor you got a vorpal weapon on your third attack)

Hit...Hit...Dead

[Avoron]

Vorpal weapons work differently. They require a roll of a natural 20, not just a critical hit. They also require a successful roll to confirm the critical hit, not just an effect that automatically confirms it.

[Ferious Thune]

Instead of a level of fighter at 11, you can retrain an earlier feat. This still feels like it comes online pretty late in the game for PFS. But I think pure Slayer is a good base for this. It's not like a Slayer will need this feat before it becomes effective, so it'll be more like a nice capstone for regular PFS play.