Trying to finagle something together to build a high-dex whip slayer who uses makes use of the Slashing Grace feat via whip. Seems like there are a few ways to go about this, and all seem a little feat intensive.
Human Archaeologist 1/Slayer X:
So the idea here is that the level of Archaeologist gives you proficiency with the Whip, a bunch of skill points (and rounds out the face skills that the Slayer lacks), as well as a couple of spells that will never get old. Feather fall and expedited retreat come to mind. To get access to those spells he'll need
The luck bonus you get four times a day helps to make up for your lack of BAB. Unfortunately, that same lack really hamstrings you on your way to Slashing Grace, thus making the bonus feat almost pointless.
Build might look something like:
Str 10
Dex 18
Con 14
Int 13
Wis 11
Cha 11
Feats/Features:
1 Weapon Finesse, Improved Initiative
2 Studied Target
3 Weapon Focus/ Talent: Combat Trick: Whip Mastery
4 Sneak Attack +1d6. Intelligence +1
5 Slashing Grace, Slowing Stirke
6 Studied Target bonus
7 Ranger/ Two-Weapon Fighting
Spells: Feather Fall, Expedited Retreat
At fifth level this guy should have at least a +1 whip. I make this guy at a base +10 to hit with the whip, plus an additional +2 if he eats up his swift and move actions, at 1d3+5/1d3+7. If he's flanking, then that's potentially 1d3+7+d6 and the bad guy has to make a 14 Fort or be gimped for 1-4 rounds.
Meh. Might be okay for a party that's desperate for a face/knowledge monkey and/or falls down holes a lot.
So our next way is to make him a half elf, and give him whip proficiency as a racial feature.
Str 10
Dex 19
Con 14
Int 14
Wis 11
Cha 7
Traits: Prehensile Whip, +1 Will saves
Feats/Features:
1 Weapon Focus: Whip/ Studied Target
2 Slayer Talent: Whip Mastery (Combat Trick)
3 Slashing Grace
4 Talent: Slow Reactions (Dex up to 20)
5 Iron Will?
Now, we could go with Combat Expertise at level 5 to try for Improved Trip, but that +2 Will save is killing me, so I'm thinking Iron Will is in order before some succubus or whatever has me bamboozled into whipping my casters in the face.
So at level 5 with a +1 Whip I put him at +15 vs a studied target that I'm flanking (with breathing room), for 1d3+8+1d6, without a bard singing or a pointy hat hasting me. If I hit the party gets to dance circles around Mister Badguy until they're in prime position. With no save! That's actually way better than a slowing strike.
Strikes me as a not terrible way to make use of Slashing Grace. Damage-wise one could potentially do better with an Elf wielding an elven curve blade, but that elf would be toe-to-toe with Mr. Badguy suffering from a Constitution penalty.
Whaddya think, sirs?
EDIT: forgot to add the WF bonus to hit.
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Slayer has access to Ranger Combat Style feats.
This means you have access to the Faithful Combat Styles.
I may suggest Calistria:
Faithful (Calistria):
If the ranger selects faithful (Calistria), he can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat: Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip), Weapon Finesse, and Whip Mastery. At 6th level, he adds Improved Trip and Improved Whip Mastery to the list. At 10th level, he adds Greater Trip and Greater Whip Mastery to the list.
At least, know your options.
Pick up Whip Mastery with a normal feat slot and use your ranger style to grab Power Attack prereq free.
How do you plan to get Sneak Attack off regularly?
Flanking from 15'?
Slayer has access to Ranger Combat Style feats.
This means you have access to the Faithful Combat Styles.
I may suggest Calistria:
At least, know your options.Faithful (Calistria):
If the ranger selects faithful (Calistria), he can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat: Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip), Weapon Finesse, and Whip Mastery. At 6th level, he adds Improved Trip and Improved Whip Mastery to the list. At 10th level, he adds Greater Trip and Greater Whip Mastery to the list.
Actually, this could come in handy because I realize I forgot to give the half-elf Weapon Finesse.
So, more like
1 Weapon Finesse
2 Slayer Talent: Whip Mastery (Ranger)
3 WF: Whip
4 Talent: Combat Trick (Slashing Grace)
5 Improved Whip Mastery
6 Improved Trip?
Will save is still itching me, but this way he gets to not provoke at level 2. By level 5 the reach is 20' and HalfElfSlayer can Indiana Jones around a dungeon easier.
Pick up Whip Mastery with a normal feat slot and use your ranger style to grab Power Attack prereq free.
I'll admit this is interesting because it also leads to Great Cleave at higher levels. On the other hand, this hurts your AC and is a lot more Initiative dependent (to get Sneak Attack on multiple targets) than my build.
How do you plan to get Sneak Attack off regularly?Flanking from 15'?
That reminds me of a spiked chain cleric many years ago. Guy was a beast.
Flanking doesn't always happen.How do you plan to get Sneak Attack off regularly?Flanking from 15'?
Then neither do sneak attacks, I guess. This build will also have Stealth maxed out, so he should be a beast at stealth rolls. But conditions for good cover will usually be harder to come by than a guy (or pet, or Eidolon, or summond beastie) on your crew who can melee.
What's your idea?
Hmmm...a human slayer gets 8 combat feats over the course of his career. If you assume the level 2, 6, and 10 slayer tricks go to taking TWF, ITWF, and GTWF, what does that leave you?
Human Slayer
Str: 18, Dex: 14, Con: 12, Int: 14, Wis: 12, Cha: 7Level 1: EWP (scorpion whip), Combat Expertise
Level 2: Weapon Training
Level 3: Whip Mastery
Level 4: TWF
Level 5: Combat Reflexes
Level 6: Combat Trick > Improved Trip
Level 7: Greater Trip
Level 8: Imp TWF
Level 9: Imp Whip Mastery
Level 10: Greater TWF
Level 11: Vicious StompEdit @ Imbicatus: I checked the additional resources, but it only listed page numbers and I don't own Inner Sea Combat yet so I wasn't able to see what page it was on.
Edit #2: Had to reorder feats to meet pre-reqs.
Edit #3: Switched out Power Attack for Combat Reflexes
No Assassinate? It's the capstone ability.
Assassinate? Capstone for what?
Advanced Talents
At 10th level and every 2 levels thereafter, a slayer can select one of the following advanced talents in place of a slayer talent.
Assassinate (Ex): A slayer with this advanced talent can kill foes that are unable to defend themselves. To attempt to assassinate a target, the slayer must first study his target for 1 round as a standard action. On the following round, if the slayer makes a sneak attack against the target and that target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly killing the target. This attempt automatically fails if the target recognizes the slayer as an enemy. If the sneak attack is successful, the target must attempt a Fortitude saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the slayer's level + the slayer's Intelligence modifier. If the target fails this save, it dies; otherwise, the target takes the sneak attack damage as normal and is then immune to that slayer's assassinate ability for 24 hours.
I'd be extremely wary of using a scorpion whip as the cornerstone of a build due to expected table variation of how a scorpion whip actually works.
I'm not sure what you mean by table variation of how a scorpion whip works. If I have EWP (scorpion whip), it's a whip that does lethal damage, no?
Also, Joey, the DC of the save versus Assassinate is going to be around 17 or 18. That save is pathetically easy to make, which makes the talent completely worthless in my eyes. I'd rather take the 3rd tier of ranger combat style and pick up either Greater Two Weapon Fighting or Two-Weapon Rend. TWR is probably better as it's automatic damage as long as a MH and an OH attack hit that round and it does almost 2x as much damage as a normal attack.
Get a headband of intellect?
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No. Scorpion whip somehow magically lengthens if you have whip proficiency.
You see, the scorpion whip is a light weapon with the disarm, performance, reach, and trip features. This means you can attack at 10 feet.
But then we have the description field:
Benefit: It deals lethal damage, even to creatures with armor bonuses. If you are proficient with whips, you can use a scorpion whip as a whip.
This means you have an extra 5 feet of reach if you use with with whip proficiency instead of scorpion whip proficiency.
The whip is a one handed weapon. If you have whip proficieny can you use slashing grace with the scorpion whip? It's not one-handed.
It's also not clear if you can or can't make AoOs with the scorpion whip, since you can't with whips but you can with a scorpion whip if you are not using it as a whip.
You see, the scorpion whip is a light weapon with the disarm, performance, reach, and trip features. This means you can attack at 10 feet.
Is it? If you look on Ultimate Equipment the only special property is performance (and this is sort of what I am talking about in regards to the scorpion whip).
