So, I wanted to make a Zen Archer, and why not get my tiefling in?
Race- Tiefling- Oni-Spawn\
+2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
1/day-alter self.
+1 nat AC, resist fire 5
darkvision 60 ft.
fiendish sprinter- +10 ft speed- charge, run, withdraw
prehensile tail- retrieve as a swift
Ability scores-
Str-13 +2 - 15
Dex- 16
Con- 12
Int- 9
Wis- 16- +2 - 18
Cha- 7- -2 - 5
Levels and feats
1. Monk (Zen Archer) 1- IUS, perfect strike, precise shot, dodge
2. ZA 2- weapon focus, combat reflexes
3. ZA 3- point blank master, dragon style
4. ZA 4-
5. Fighter (Weapon Master) 1- mobility, shot on the run
6. WM 2- rapid shot
7. WM 3- snap shot, clustered shot
8. ZA 5-
9. ZA 6- imp precise shot, weapon specialization, deific obedience
10. Sentinel of Erastil 1
11. Sen 2- imp snap shot, parting shot
12. Sen 3-
Pretty much any advice is welcome.
Feat changes, equipment must-haves, anything else.
The only thing that isn't debatable is race; tiefling and oni-spawn is the way I want to go.
Do not take Rapid Shot. You cannot use flurry of blows with rapid shot.
Also, why are you taking levels in fighter? I am not sure if it is worth delaying your zen-archer abilities. Also you should rush Zen-archer level 8 before multiclassing, since that is a level that gets you an extra bow shot.
If anything, ditch those fighter levels to take more Sentinel levels.
Also, what is the reason you took Dragon Style in your build?
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Why go oni-spawn instead of the default tiefling that gets a dex bonus, since you're going for higher dex than str? Do you just really want Alter Self that badly?
I'd guess its for the Wisdom bonus, since from 3rd level on he will be shooting off of that instead, and the Strength bonus gives some damage as gravy.
@OP:I would recommend Deadly Aim instead of Rapidshot[since you can't Rapidshot flurry as a Zen Archer], and lowering dex to a 14 to bring up Con to 14 and Str to 16. Then pump all stat buffs to Wis and Str, for attack and damage. You suffer from 1 lower attack bonus at your first two levels, and then get more benefit from pumping Wisdom after that.
If you really want to go oni-spawn (which I understand, I like them a lot, especially for inquisitors), then I'd go something like this on the stats:
STR: 16 DEX: 14 CON: 12 INT: 10 WIS: 18 CHA: 6
Your Widsom is going to be your dominant archery stat from 3rd level on, and a slightly lower Dex just means lower AC. Since you'll mostly be away from melee, that should be okay. You could even bring your strength down a bit to pump Dex, since your damage will be coming from a vast number of arrows in the air rather than a slightly higher strength bonus.
Speaking of damage: Why no Deadly Aim? You'll hit a lot with your attacks, so pick up deadly aim early (I'd do it at 3rd level in place of Dragon Style) and do more damage with them. And I'd agree with Adam about picking up levels in fighter, going straight Zen Archer will serve you better.
The reason I took three levels of fighter is to get snap shot early. Snap shot lets you threaten 5 feet with bows, and Zen Archer gets it as a class ability at 9th. The three levels of fighter get me the BAB to get it at 7th, along with a +1 att/dmg with longbow and a few extra feats/hp, and Rapid Shot is for the purposes of qualifying for Snap Shot.
He is right, I went Oni for the Wis and Str. Pus, Cha is not relevant at all.
Dragon Style is there to make greatest benefit of fiendish sprinter plus Point-blank Master (which I get at 3rd Zen). Those combined get me a long charge speed, plus 1+1/2 Str on my first unarmed strike a round.
I'd like to keep Dragon Style,
Do you think it's worth going back full monk after getting snap shot at 7th?
That kinda nullifies the 9th level ability.
Oh, I'll be trading in Slow Fall and High Jump in with Qingong (probably True Strike and Barkskin).
Well, if I went with 12 levels of Zen Archer, what feat advice would you have then?
Sorry, was being dumb, and thought I'd need a way to threaten with my bow.
I'm looking at this now:
Str- 16
Dex- 14
Con- 12
Int- 12
Wis- 18
Cha- 5
Full Zen Archer/Qinggong Monk
Feats-
1- IUS (monk), Perfect Strike (ZA), Armor of the Pit (1st), Precise Shot (bonus)
2- Weapon Focus(ZA), Combat Reflexes (bonus)
3- Point Bank Master (ZA), Deadly Aim (3rd)
4- Replace Slow Fall with True Strike
5- Replace High Jump with Barkskin. Monkey Style (5th)
6- Improved Precise Shot
7- Replace Wholeness of Body with Scorching Ray. Dragon Style (7th)
8-
9- Feat?
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Not a fan of Dragon Style, and to a lesser extent, Monkey Style for a ZA.
If you have a full action to charge someone, then you have a full action to flurry+ki point with your bow. Why would an archer charge for pitiful unarmed damage instead shooting a foe full of arrows? Also, entering Dragon Style is a swift action, so that's burnt swift action in the first round that could have been used spending a ki point for an additional shot on your flurry. While the save bumps are nice, your saves will already be redic as a monk.
Even though you are a backliner, your AC will be extremely respectable with Mage Armor, Barkskin, DEX, WIS and monk bonuses...and that's before you add magical items. Monkey Style is not that great of an investment in the early going as ranged monsters aren't as common as melee monsters and your AC will be solid. Once you can almost auto-make the stand-as-free-DC-20-acrobatics, it has greater utility.
You have Combat Reflexes at L3...do you plan on meleeing on a consistent basis? Why? It's better to spend that on Improved Initiative so you can go high in the order and feather flat-footed folks with your bow (or position yourself not to be in melee).
Your Level 9 feat should be Clustered Shots.
If you don't want to go full ZAM, you can exit out of ZAM at L7 or L9 and pick up a few levels in a synergestic class if you wish.
I chose Combat Reflexes because it's a bonus monk feat.
My other options are Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot (already taken) and Rapid Shot.
Distance won't be a problem in PFS most of the time, although I may switch to Point Blank.
Read a guide on Zen Archer, and have a few changes.
1. IUS, Perfect Strike, Armor of the Pit, Precise Shot
2. Weapon Focus, Point Blank Shot
3. Point Blank Master, Deadly Aim
4. Take True Strike
5. Take Barkskin, Monkey Style
6.
7. Hammer the Gap, Scorching Ray
Not sure on what else from there.
Also, Sammy, how am I getting Mage Armor?
Guys, found something kinda cool.
Crusader's Flurry
You learned to use your deity’s favored weapon as part of your martial arts form.Prerequisites: Channel energy class feature, flurry of blows class feature, Weapon Focus with your deity’s favored melee weapon.
Benefit: You can use your deity’s favored weapon as if it were a monk weapon
If I take a level of cleric, probably at character 5th, then I could flurry with my unarmed strike again.
I like that, along with the spells, domains, and maybe channels.