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Here's a snapshot of Chuck at level 9.
It's based on charging and hurling greataxes to add +1,5 of Strength to the throw, plus the mount's Strength. It also takes advantage of the free maneuver feats Qabarat Outrider grants to get a high trip CMB to topple any onrushing enemies with Sliding Axe Throw (it never says it requires throwing axes!).
For the next levels, it should get Throw Anything, Improved Charging Hurler, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, Clustered Shots, or Distance Thrower. Another option is getting Close-Quarters Throwers, but I think this guy should be able to kite well.
At level 13, though, you really want to retrain Sliding Axe Throw for Improved Critical and move for Staggering Critical (and eventually Tripping Strike at 17th, if you ever get there) and start chucking keen Falchions. Infuriating Aim forces enemies to move towards you, which sets it up. Of course, Sliding Axe Throw works well with it too. It's just a matter on whether you trust there will be trippable enemies.
Anyway, give it a look! I also don't know what mount to get.
Male lashunta cavalier (beast rider/luring cavalier/qabarat outrider) 9
NE Medium humanoid (lashunta)
Init +2; Senses Perception +12
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 68 (9d10+9)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +4
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee greataxe (two handed) +14/+9 ((two handed) 1d12+7/x3)
Innate Spell-Like Abilities: daze ( DC 10, at will) detect thoughts ( DC 10, 1/day) mage hand (at will)
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 13
Base Atk +9; CMB +14 (+16 Trip); CMD 26 (28 against Trip)
Feats Combat Expertise, Charging Hurler, Greater Trip, Improved Trip, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Point-Blank Shot, Sliding Axe Throw, Two-Handed Thrower, Quick Draw
Skills Acrobatics -3 , Bluff +10 , Climb +4 , Diplomacy +13 , Escape Artist -3 , Fly -3 , Handle Animal +13 , Intimidate +5 , Perception +12 , Ride +11 , Sense Motive +11 , Stealth -3 , Swim +4
Languages Common, Elven, Lashunta, Undercommon
SQ bonus feat, bonus to saving throw (will), by my honor, careful aim, expert trainer, far challenge, knowledgeable, lashunta magic, limited telepathy, maneuver tactics, mindlink, mount, mounted mastery, order, order of the sword
Gear chainmail, greataxe
SPECIAL ABILITIES
By My Honor (Ex) At 2nd level, the cavalier must select one alignment. As long as he maintains the selected alignment, he receives a +2 morale bonus to one saving throw of his choice.
Careful Aim (Ex) At 3rd level, when a luring cavalier makes a ranged attack with his highest base attack bonus, he can ignore the penalties for firing up to three range increments away. If he is using a firearm, he can target touch AC up to two range increments away. This effect stacks with effects that allow the cavalier to make ranged attacks farther without penalty or that allow him to target touch AC with a firearm beyond the first range increment. This ability replaces cavalier's charge.
Expert Trainer (Ex) At 4th level, a cavalier learns to train mounts with speed and unsurpassed expertise. The cavalier receives a +4 bonus whenever he uses Handle Animal on an animal that serves as a mount. In addition, he can reduce the time needed to teach a mount a new trick or train a mount for a general purpose to 1 day per 1 week required by increasing the DC by +5. He can also train more than one mount at once, although each mount after the first adds +2 to the DC.
Eyes and Ears of the City (Abadar) Your religious training involved serving in the city watch of a large city, the primary duty of which was standing sentinel on a city wall. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception checks, and Perception is always a class skill for you.
Far Challenge (Ex) 3 times per day, a luring cavalier can use his far challenge ability as a swift action. When he does, the luring cavalier chooses one target within sight to challenge. The luring cavalier's ranged attacks deal +9 extra damage whenever the attacks are made against the target of his challenge. Furthermore, once per day, the luring cavalier may spend a use of his far challenge ability to deal +18 extra damage instead. Before making the attack roll, he can choose to spend a use of his challenge to deal twice his cavalier level in extra damage on a successful hit instead of just his cavalier level in extra damage. If the attack misses, the use of the challenge is wasted. Challenging a foe requires subtle deceits and strategies. The cavalier must make it look like he is a soft target. The subject of the far challenge gains a +4 bonus on attack rolls made against him. This challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious, until the target hits the luring cavalier with a melee attack, or until the combat ends. If this challenge ends because the target hits the luring cavalier with a melee attack, this challenge changes to the effects of the normal cavalier challenge, and gains any order benefit the luring cavalier has. Far challenge replaces the challenge ability. [Order of the Sword] Whenever an order of the sword cavalier issues a challenge, he receives a +3 morale bonus on attack rolls against the target of his challenge so long as he is astride his mount.
Knowledgeable A lashunta gains a +2 racial bonus to any one Knowledge skill.
Lashunta Magic (Sp) A lashunta possessing an Intelligence score of 11 or higher gains spell-like abilities
Limited Telepathy A lashunta is able to mentally communicate with any creature within 30 feet with whom she shares a language.
Maneuver Tactics (Ex) You gain the Improved Trip and Greater Trip feats. As a swift action, a Qabarat outrider can grant this feat to all allies within 30 feet, regardless of whether they can see or hear him or they meet the feat's prerequisites. Allies retain this bonus feat for 7 rounds. An outrider can use this ability twice per day.
Mindlink (Ex) At 5th level, a Qabarat outrider's innate telepathy develops into a mindlink, allowing contact between himself and his allies and companions. As long as the Qabarat outrider is conscious, all allies within range of his limited telepathy racial ability (30 feet for most Qabarat outriders) receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion effects and a +i morale bonus on attack rolls made while flanking. At 10th level and every 5 levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by i. This ability replaces banner.
Mount (Ex) You know how this works.
Mounted Mastery (Ex) At 8th level, the cavalier ignores the armor check penalty when using the Ride skill, regardless of whether or not the creature he is riding is his mount. Whenever he makes a charge attack while mounted, he receives a +4 dodge bonus to his AC to avoid attacks set against his charge. When making such an attack, he can add his mount's Strength modifier to the damage roll, in addition to his own. He also receives Mounted Combat.
Order of the Sword Whenever the cavalier uses Sense Motive to oppose a Bluff check, he receives a competence bonus on the check equal to 1/2 his cavalier level (minimum +1)
Strong Arm, Supple Wrist (trait) Whenever you move at least 10 feet before making an attack with a thrown weapon, you add 10 feet to the range increment of the weapon thrown.
Maybe I'm missing something, but don't you need Throw Anything in there somewhere?
Fixed and fixed!
You should be chucking Throwing Axes two-handed first, then move onto Greataxes, since you can't fit Throw Anything so early... but honestly, sometimes your attack bonus will be so high that you can easily take the -4 penalty. Of course, you will want Throw Anything by 11, Rapid Shot by 12, Distance Thrower by 13. You really want to go the whole way Cavalier though, get as many challenges as possible and get the sweet 14th level Qabarat Outrider feature.
Another sweet thing about this build is that you give your whole team Improved Trip and Greater Trip, which means everyone is going to be helping you kite!
Alternatively, you go for the Critical build (which isn't a bad choice, with Tripping Strike and Staggering Critical), which really likes Infuriating Aim.
Chuck last name Steel, axe thrower!
I like the sound of that. :P
-MD
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Just for qualification to the Guide to Builds...
What it Do
Chuck is a build based to exploit the Luring Cavalier's ability to apply ranged challenge damage, while enhancing its kiting potential through Sliding Axe Throw to topple foes and granting its whole team Improved Trip, Greater Trip and Tripping Strike to obtain battlefield control. It can be customized - changing from a Greataxe thrower (with Two-Handed Thrower and Throw Anything), a more defensive shield wielding thrower, or providing several different Improved Maneuver combat feats to your team for versatility. A Dex-based version is also possible, using Agile thrown weapons and replacing the lesser belt of mighty hurling for a blinkback belt.
Quick Draw means you can switch from ranged to melee as needed, taking out shields or perhaps a reach weapon to trip enemies with from its horse, as well as take out the weapon required to overcome DR.
Must-Have Items
Besides a slew of weapons to throw, use for melee and a good shield, there are two exclusive sets of key items:
- Belt of Mighty Hurling (Lesser/Greater) for Strength builds to add Strength to thrown attack rolls; or,
- Agile thrown weapons and a Blinkback belt not to lose them.
Late game, you are going to be wanting to use a keen Improved Critical 19/20 thrown weapon. I need to do the math on weather Throw Anything 18/20 weapons are worth it.
Other than that, get the standard.
Feat Advancement (buckler wielding, regular version)
1. Point-Blank Shot (Combat Expertise, Improved Trip *Qabarat Outrider*)
3. Charging Hurler
5. Sliding Axe Throw
6. Quick Draw (if you been scrounging, this is when you get that wonderful Lesser Belt of Mighty Hurling)
7. Deadly Aim
8. (Mounted Combat *Order of the Sword*)
9. Mounted Archery (Greater Trip *Qabarat Outrider*)
11. Distance Thrower
12. Rapid Shot
13. Improved Charging Hurler
15. Two-Handed Thrower
17. Throw Anything (Tripping Strike *Qabarat Outrider*)
18. Iron Will
19. Greater Iron Will
Note: If your team has many melee fighters, you might want to take Precise Shot. In any other case, considering your high mobility, you probably can charge into a position that is unobstructed.)
Progression
Level 1: You are looking at 18 AC just from Dex and armor, +5 melee attack with +4 damage (+6 with a two-handed weapon), or +3 for thrown attack and +4 thrown damage (increasing to +4 and +5 with Far Challenge) up to 20 ft. You have Combat Expertise and Improved Trip to handle battle.
Level 4: +8 melee attack, or +7 for thrown attack and +4 thrown damage (increasing to +8 and +8 with Far Challenge) up to 20 ft.
Level 8: You should have been online since level 5 thanks to belt of mighty hurling. Your thrown attack is +15/+10 at 20 ft and deals +7 damage (+18/+13 and +15 damage on a Far Challenge).
It only gets more and more brutal as it increases in level. You should build your character according to your party - if you will be buffed, healed, if you will have a front line or not, if you are expected to deal attacks of opportunity at casters (Snap Shot!) or break tanks apart (Clustered Shots!).
It's honestly my first ranged build so any comments on the feats are appreciated.
The real quid of the matter is that Luring Cavalier begs to be used with an 18/20 weapon with Improved Critical and Critical Focus (because of Infuriating Aim class feature). Perhaps progression could be changed a little.
How does this build get around the melee attack requirement for challenge?
How does this build get around the melee attack requirement for challenge?
Luring Cavalier can deal Challenge damage at range (and, once per day, double Challenge damage).
I believe it takes a full round action to throw a 2-handed weapon.
Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action.
Two-Handed Thrower specifically notes that if you have the Quick Draw feat (which you need for a thrower anyway), you can throw two-handed weapons in your full attack speed.
Kewl! But it's clearly a Lashunta, not a human :O