With the ACG out, I was hoping to revisit the idea of making a dex-based striker using two sawtooth-sabers. I'm having some difficulty making it work out as I'd hoped. Swashbuckler makes it all possible with Swashbuckler's Finesse applying to the STS. I'd like to go with Slayer afterwards for all the assassiny goodness contained therein, but the concept involves QUITE a few feats to even get off the ground, so I was hoping for some help finding an elegant solution. The good news is, I can easily pile on GM credit for the first level or two to get over the hump.
1: Swash or Daring Champion. Swashbucklers Finesse, Weapon Focus (1st), EWP:STS (human or half-elf)
2: Slayer 1
3: Slayer 2, TWF (S2), Slashing Grace (3rd)
4+ Slayer, TWF feats
I had also considered a level of Warpriest of Achaekek for free EWP and Weapon Focus, but that would push my first sneak attack die all the way back to 5th level and further delay my studied target advancement, so I'm not sure it's really worth it.
Is this a worthy pursuit, or should I just go for a str-based Beastmaster ranger build with favored enemy:human and a mantis companion?
Many of the Red Mantis Assassins in the AP books take levels in Ranger with favored enemy (human). Slayer 4 would work just as well since you're getting studied target, combat style feats and trapfinding which is always helpful for a dex-based character.
Just remember that you actually need to have the EWP feat for the sawtooth sabre in order to take levels in red mantis assassin. A good way to overcome this hurdle is to be a half-elf and get the Ancestral Arms alternate racial trait (which gives you EWP for free at 1st level).
Red mantis assassins are incredibly good at killing lone targets and can hold their own in combat. I'd recommend having at least 14 or higher in charisma since they get spells and the DC for their prayer attack (their signature killing move) increases with higher charisma. For damage you'll get weapon focus/specialization feats for free when leveling up and the Agile weapon enhancement can add your Dex bonus to damage for both of your weapons.
Yep, I'd be getting the weapon proficiency with human or half-elf, since it makes the sabers into light weapons for the purposes of twf. I don't intend to take the actual prestige class though, since it isn't PFS legal. I might go Stygian Slayer since it has a few similar abilities and a similar feel.
For flavor you could use the Mantis Zealot Archetype from Advanced Class Origins. Something like the following:
1 - Warpriest: EWP-Sawtooth (Free), Weapon Focus (Bonus), TWF, [Human feat]
2 - Swash/DC: Swashbuckler's Finesse
3 - Warpriest: Slashing Grace
4 - Warpriest: [Bonus Combat Feat]
5 - Sneak Attach 1d6, [Feat]
Fill in the feats as you desire, but this may net you what you want at the cost of only 3/4 BAB (though you can buff this up with Fervor as desired).
I was recently looking at doing something similar for PFS as this idea. It's a shame you can't play LE though for the actual RMA as it's my favourite Prestige Class.
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Yep, I'd be getting the weapon proficiency with human or half-elf, since it makes the sabers into light weapons for the purposes of twf.
Oh, wow, that's a great catch! Since the text says "for the purpose of two-weapon fighting you can treat it as a light melee weapon", I would rule that you do get to add your dex to the attack roll when you're TWF. So even if you don't go with the Swashbuckler, you could still build a decent TWF with Dex to damage. (One of the gaps of Slashing Grace is that there's only one one-handed slashing weapon you can use with Weapon Finesse: the Aldori dueling sword.)
Also, you'll probably need Double Slice. Since Slashing Grace uses your "dexterity modifier instead of your strength modifier", and your strength modifier is halved on your off-hand, your Dex modifer would also be halved on your off hand. (You may find table variation on this, but getting Double Slice would be safest.)
I don't intend to take the actual prestige class though, since it isn't PFS legal. I might go Stygian Slayer since it has a few similar abilities and a similar feel.
Slayer sounds like a good fit for this character. You could also consider Ninja (for the charisma-based ki pool, poison use, and sneak attack) or the Fighter Weapon Master archetype (to get you early eapon training and all the feats you'll need).
The only issue I have with the cavalier Daring Champion archetype is that you don't get panache or deeds until 4th level. So the main advantage of the Daring Champion over the actual swashbuckler is the tactician ability, which doesn't really match my idea of a Red Mantis assassin-type, but it might work with your vision.
Another route is a dip into the Cleric, Inquisitor or Warpriest of Achakek. These both get you EWP with sawtooth sabre for free, and the Crusader cleric archetype and the Warpriest also get you Weapon Focus for free. Achakek is lawful evil, so you'd have to go lawful neutral in PFS. If you choose this route, the Rogue Swordmaster archetype might blend well. (I've played with a monk/crusader cleric of Achakek with Crusader's Flurry--that's more Str based, though, so probably not what you're after.)
Overall:
There are a couple of nifty PFS-legal things in Inner Sea Gods for Red-Mantis-Like characters:
Bloody Sabres (feat)
Fuming Blood Sabre (magic weapon)
Frightening Speed (trait)
Deep Wounding (trait)
Red Stalker Armor (magic armor)
And if you go into modules post level 12, there's Crimson Bluff (magic weapon)
Yep, I'd be getting the weapon proficiency with human or half-elf, since it makes the sabers into light weapons for the purposes of twf.Oh, wow, that's a great catch! Since the text says "for the purpose of two-weapon fighting you can treat it as a light melee weapon", I would rule that you do get to add your dex to the attack roll when you're TWF. So even if you don't go with the Swashbuckler, you could still build a decent TWF with Dex to damage. (One of the gaps of Slashing Grace is that there's only one one-handed slashing weapon you can use with Weapon Finesse: the Aldori dueling sword.)
Not really... as the description says, it is light for the purpose of TWF. As in for determining whether you are doing -2/-2 or -4/-4.
And the sabers would actually be objectively worse if you did treat them as light during TWF. This problem is twofold- 1.) since you allow them to be light for the agile property during TWF, that conversely means that they are NOT light when you aren't doing TWF (as in, when you have to actually move and attack; poor damage when you can't full attack is one of the banes of TWF builds). On the opposite end, 2.) this also means that they would no longer qualify for slashing grace when you TWF, since slashing grace only works on 1 handed weapons.
Typically, it is just better to either just grab slashing grace normally, or go ranger/slayer so you can do this stuff with strength instead.
The sabres only count as light for determining the penalties for TWF, they are still counted as 1-Handed for Slashing grace.
A sawtoothed sabre may be used as a Martial Weapon (in which case it functions as a longsword), but if you have the feat Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtoothed sabre), you treat the weapon as if it were a light weapon for the purpose of two-weapon fighting—the sabre remains classified as a one-handed melee weapon for all other purposes.
Don't forget the Tengu blade proficiency. Pretty sure they're street legal in PFS.