Hey folks! I'll be playing a game soon for a group that generally goes for a fair amount of optimization, but no Pun Puns allowed. In any case, we're hoping to play to a high level, and I've worked up a build I like all the way to 20 for just such an occasion. He's a Slayer, Stygian archetype, and a human. An apprentice assassin by trade. A switch hitter, but mainly focused as an archer unless he's stabbing you in the pancreas from behind. No word on what the point buy will be, so I've done the math on three. I've placed intelligence as a pretty high priority here for roleplay purposes, I also think I'll be the skill monkey, and the high DC for assassinations that it'll bring is nice as well.
My questions here are, is there anything obviously wrong with him? Will he be relevant at high levels? Missing anything essential? Any other random input you have here is appreciated as well.
Human Stygian Slayer
Human favored class bonus up to lvl 18
Abilities (w/human bonus):
Dex>Int>Str>Con>Wis>Cha
15 PB
Str 12
Dex 18
Con 10
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 8
20 PB
Str 14
Dex 18
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 10
Cha 8
25 PB
Str 14
Dex 18
Con 12
Int 16
Wis 10
Cha 8
Feats:
1: Power Attack
1: Deadly Aim
3: Furious Focus
5: Quick Draw
7: Armor Proficiency: Medium
9: Improved Critical: Falchion
11: Critical Focus: Falchion
13: Silent Kill
15: Blinding Critical
17: Weapon Focus: Falchion
19: Dodge
Slayer Talents
2: Trapfinding
6: RCS, Rapid Shot
6: RCS, Many Shot
8: RCS, Precise Shot
Advanced Slayer Talents:
12: RCS, Improved Precise Shot
12: Assassinate
14: Poison Use
16: RAT, Opportunist
18: RAT, Evasion
18: RAT, Master of Disguise
20: RAT, Stealthy Sniper
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You can't take Ranger Combat Style more than three times total. You can take Combat Trick and get one of them that way, but that'd necessitate using a normal Feat to pick up Point Blank Shot so as to meet the prerequisites.
Also...you have no Talents listed at levels 4 or 10, but two listed at 6th, 12th, and 18th. This leaves you one Talent over your limit (one of the ones at 18th level).
Your 15 point buy build also lacks Str 13 for Power Attack.
The Stygian archetype loses the 4th and tength level talents, and the multiples were from the human favored class bonus that I took up to 18 as specified at the top of the build. I didn't catch the rule of combat style feats. I'll check on it and of it's true, use Gene's advice about the armor proficiency to buy PBS the good old fashioned way :) good catch on power attack. I'll have to alter that slightly if that's how he chooses to run it. Though I doubt it will be.
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The Stygian archetype loses the 4th and tength level talents, and the multiples were from the human favored class bonus that I took up to 18 as specified at the top of the build.
Ah, gotcha. That makes sense.
I didn't catch the rule of combat style feats.
To quote:
Ranger Combat Style (Ex): The slayer selects a ranger combat style (such as archery or two-weapon combat) and gains a combat feat from the first feat list of that style. He can choose feats from his selected combat style, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites. At 6th level, he may select this talent again and add the 6th-level ranger combat feats from his chosen style to the list. At 10th level, he may select this talent again and add the 10th-level ranger combat feats from his chosen style to the list.
It explicitly limits you to taking it once, then once more at 6th, then once more at 10th. The levels probably don't need to be precise, but you sure can't do more than the three.
I'll check on it and of it's true, use Gene's advice about the armor proficiency to buy PBS the good old fashioned way :) good catch on power attack. I'll have to alter that slightly if that's how he chooses to run it. Though I doubt it will be.
Those sound like solid calls. :)
I rarely find the armor proficiency feats to be worth it.
Elven Chain counts as light armor anyway, and it only results in 1 less potential AC than a Mithral Breastplate (+4 vs +5 max dex).
So you can just take Dodge instead of Medium Armor Proficiency, for better touch AC.
Don't bother with medium armor proficiency with the Mitheral Breast Plate. Take the armor master trait for -1 ACP in armor the ACP penalty for the Mitheral Breast plate is 0. So has no negative effect for not being proficient. Then get dodge for even better AC.
I don't think you'll ever pull a successful Assassinate. If it were based on DEX or STR, maybe, but based on INT against Fortitude saves? You trippin.
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I don't think you'll ever pull a successful Assassinate. If it were based on DEX or STR, maybe, but based on INT against Fortitude saves? You trippin.
The 25 point-buy version seems likely to get Int 22 with item eventually (and Int 18 even when he gets it). That's not too shabby. Especially targeting the physically frail, like Wizards.
That is Monk Stunning Fist Wisdom high.
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You'd also get the Studied Target bonus to Assassinate DCs, so it should not be that bad.
You'd also get the Studied Target bonus to Assassinate DCs, so it should not be that bad.
This, plus he could snag Ability Focus for a further +2, and a Headsman's Blade would grant a further +2.
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Your STR and CON are low for a melee build. If you decide to go with a 14 STR (via the 20 and 25 pt buys), and are interested in being viable (if not awesome) in melee, I would suggest picking up proficiency with the Elven Curveblade and Weapon Finesse. You will gt more beneft form these than you will form weapon focus and improved critical (although Imp Crit is still a solid pick with the high crit range).
I'm under no assumption that I'll be assassinating bosses or anything, but I'll be excited the first time I one-hit anyone using the ability while I'm invisible from Stygian abilities...if only because it's entirely awesome. Total Thane from Mass Effect moment.
I hadn't considered ability focus, but I suppose there's no reason it shouldn't work and I already have a few feats that I only took because I had some dead levels. I'll think about where I can shove that one in after I get Assassinate.
As for the weapon proficiencies, I wasn't really looking to be an every round melee warrior. I did want to be serviceable, with the capability to do a ton of damage very quickly, hence the investments in crit feats. I would also look to stack my falchion with some bursts at some point. Mainly, it'll just be a good option to have and use occasionally in a typical combat, but more often just to shank folks. With a full BAB, I shouldn't have to worry too much about my attack rolls being lower than they would have been with weapon finesse for too long, right? It doesn't seem like +a couple here or there would be relevant after the first few levels. Unless you disagree. I haven't played a Dex based character who wades into combat before, so I might be missing something.
Here's a revised version of what I'm looking at for the 20 and 25 point buy builds. Still not sure how I'd tackle 15. Cross that bridge when I come to it I suppose.
Feats:
1: Power Attack
1: Deadly Aim
3: Furious Focus
5: Point Blank Shot
7: Quick Draw
9: Improved Critical: Falchion
11: Critical Focus: Falchion
13: Ability Focus: Assassinate
15: Blinding Critical
17: Silent Kill
19: Dodge
Slayer Talents
2: Trapfinding
6: RCS, Rapid Shot
6: RCS, Many Shot
8: RCS, Precise Shot
Advanced Slayer Talents:
12: RCS, Improved Precise Shot
12: Assassinate
14: Poison Use
16: RAT, Opportunist
18: RAT, Evasion
18: RAT, Master of Disguise
20: RAT, Stealthy Sniper
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Technically, one of your 6 or 8 level Talents should be Combat Trick, not Ranger Combat Style...not that it matters, since you have Point Blank Shot, but the listing is technically wrong.
Also, looking at it, Poison Use probably isn't gonna be that useful, though thematic, I'd grab Evasion instead (since that seems similarly in-theme and better mechanically).
Other than that, looks good.
Bah. Forgot to change that part. But correct you are. Thanks for all the advice
Looks good, perhaps you want to pick up Blind-Fight at some point, depending on your DM.