Zen archer - agility or wisdom?


Advice

Silver Crusade

Hi everybody.
I desided to go zen archer for my first character and here is my simple question - wisdom or agility? Wisdom gives additional ki, will save and bonus to sense motive (i`m thinking about taking snake style for nice not-always-working-but-fun ac boost) but agility gives us more init, ref save and a bonus to a lot of skills (acro, stealth and others). So - what is better?

Grand Lodge

Wisdom. You already have fabulous reflex saves as a monk, and you'll want to pick up the Improved Initiative feat anyway. Unless you're specifically going to be pulling scout duty at all hours of the day, you won't need an insane score on your dexterity. Your party really should not be demanding the monk to pull off disable device and sleight of hand checks.

Silver Crusade

So... Why wisdom? Does it gives something more that i said earlier?


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AC and to-hit with bows.

Grand Lodge

This is my PFS zen archer that started with 19 Wisdom. Wisdom takes over for archery at third level. You need at least a 13dex for deadly aim, but 14 may be doable. If you worship Irori you can make one Dex skill Wisdom based with a trait. Stealth is a good one for this.

You didn't mention wisdom modifies perception, the most important skill in the game.

I would go dwarf for race, but human is fine too.

I would rather fail a reflex save than a will save.

Silver Crusade

I gone elf for some init bonus and roleplay.
Here is my stats for 2 level
14
16
12
11
16
7

Feats: pbs, dodge, precise shot. Elf traits: lightbringer, fleet-footed. Traits: reactionary, sacred touch.

I`m also wanting to go quin monk for true strike and cloak of winds trading for it slow fall and wholeness of body.

Scarab Sages

It's counter-intuitive, but elf is the worst race you can pick for a Zen Archer. You have no use for elf weapon training, you have no need for the Dex or Int bonuses, but you need a decent Con score.


Yeah, for a zen-archer wis>con=str>dex>int>charisma.

Widsom and dex both provide bonuses to AC. At level 3 wis takes over to hit for a zen archer. Reflex save, dex skills, and init aren't as important as your to hit.

And since wis provides extra ki which is a big deal, it's more advantageous to pump wisdom instead of dex.

Silver Crusade

"wis takes over to hit"
It CAN take over to hit. It`s like finese - it applyes only if it`s better.


Ndzar wrote:

"wis takes over to hit"

It CAN take over to hit. It`s like finese - it applyes only if it`s better.

Yes, but the benefits wisdom offers (ki) outweight the benefit increased dexterity does (slight skill increase, init increase, reflex increase). Reflex saves are the least important saves in the game.

Silver Crusade

"no use for elf weapon training"
And i don`t have it.
"Fleet-Footed - This racial trait replaces keen senses and weapon familiarity."

Scarab Sages

Mr Oger wrote:

"no use for elf weapon training"

And i don`t have it.
"Fleet-Footed - This racial trait replaces keen senses and weapon familiarity."

Fleet-Footed is hardly worth the terrible stats you get from being an elf. It's really just a +2 to initiative that you can replicate with a trait.

If you want to play an Elf for role-play reasons, that's fine, but it's still the worst choice you can make from a mechanical perspective, and fleet-footed does nothing to change that.

Liberty's Edge

This is my Half-Elf Zen Archer/Evangelist which is PFS legal.

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