I may be putting together a Vigilante for the playtest for some PFS games this weekend, and I'm particularly interested in using a Kitsune, for the stats and the disguise aspect. I'd like to try the Fey Zealot option, and I'm looking for a combat style that works.
I have a boon that lets me take Elven weapon familiarity, so I could go for a Finesse build with an ECB. But with my Str penalty, it would be prohibitively expensive to get up to 13 Str for Power Attack, and it doesn't qualify for Piranha Strike. The Fey Zealot only gets Druid/Ranger spells on his list, so is there anything outside of lead blades that could boost my damage? I'm already planning on taking Zealot Smite, which should keep my damage up for the big fights, and I can get the sword agile eventually, but that's not much.
Alternatively, I could go with archery, but since I only have the GM credit to start at level 2, I'd have to go without Precise Shot, which I really don't want to do.
Any suggestions?
Nobody?
I saw Bristle, but it only works on natural attacks, of which I have only one. Is there a good way for me to get claws at low levels?
The other option I considered was a TWF build with kukris, or something similar. But the Zealot gets no bonus feats, so the progression is slow, especially if I want Dex-to-damage.
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There isn't a good way to get claws without a Ranger/Slayer/Bloodrager dip or Eldritch Heritage.
Another option is the Hunter's Howl spell. You treat everyone in a 20 ft burst as a ranger favored enemy (+2 to hit and damage) for 1rd/level. They get a save, which makes it not ideal for a buff.
Hmm... Hunter's Howl is interesting, and it could be useful against groups (where I'll probably get at least one target to fail), but it doesn't scale.
Looking at the numbers again, I could get stats of 13/16/14/10/10/15, which would be workable with the ECB, if a smidge low for a starting attack stat. Alternatively, a 15 Str to start with a 2d6 or 1d12 weapon would be functional for several levels with lead blades before really needing Power Attack. I think I might go with one of those.
So here's a rough starting poing:
John Smith/The Hunter
Male Kitsune Vigilante (Fey Zealot)
13/16/14/10/10/15
Traits: Reactionary, ???
1: Weapon Finesse, Social Grace (Disguise), Divine Power I, Vanishing Step
2: Zealot Smite
Mwk. Elven Curved Blade +5 (1d10+1)
w/ Lead Blades +5 (2d8+1)
Skills
Disguise +7(+11)
Bluff +7
Intimidate +7
Acrobatics +8
Survival +5
Knowledge (nature) +5
Knowledge (religion) +5
Any tweaks or fixes?
There is possibly a very big problem with running a kitsune vigilante. Do supernatural abilities detect as magical, even though they might not even have a caster level? If they do detect as magical, then any random person who happens to cast detect magic near you might realize that the character is under a polymorph effect. If the vigilante is a known kitsune then anyone who is under a polymorph effect all the time is going to be a suspect.
Plus, at higher levels when tons of things have True Seeing then your identity might get discovered very easily.
Perhaps there should be some sort of additional social guise ability added in to support shapeshifter vigilantes so that their forms are protected from true seeing and detect magic? The current rules text doesn't help much with this. Heck, such an ability could help vigilantes who use hats of disguise and illusions to hide their armor as well.
Yeah, I can see that problem, but I don't think it would be an issue in PFS. There's not enough continuity to really worry about it.
Do supernatural abilities detect as magical, even though they might not even have a caster level? If they do detect as magical, then any random person who happens to cast detect magic near you might realize that the character is under a polymorph effect.
From what i know, No, supernatural abilities don't show up, im pretty sure that is only applied to spell-like abilities
There is possibly a very big problem with running a kitsune vigilante. Do supernatural abilities detect as magical, even though they might not even have a caster level?
It doesn't matter because detect magic doesn't allow you to identify the spell. It only allows you to identify the school that the spell belongs to, and that's only after three rounds of consecutive study. Basically, it would break down like this, assuming the Hunter has no other items or spell effects that could be detected:
Round 1: One or more magical auras are present on the Hunter.
Round 2: There is 1 magical aura present on the Hunter.
Round 3: There is 1 faint aura present on the Hunter himself. If the Hunter is in line of sight, I can try a DC 16 Knowledge (arcana) check to discover that the spell is a transmutation spell.
A logical assumption would be that the vigilante is trying to mask his identity or physical features somehow. If the vigilante human in his social identity, they might assume that he's got magic to improve his social abilities. But nothing about the detect magic spell allows you to identity a spell after it has been cast.
If they do detect as magical, then any random person who happens to cast detect magic near you might realize that the character is under a polymorph effect. If the vigilante is a known kitsune then anyone who is under a polymorph effect all the time is going to be a suspect.
Its actually very much like a Peter Parker ordeal; gotta get out of there before someone snaps a picture of you. (And the cone is ONLY 60 feet long; a single run action would get you far enough away from the caster that they'd have to stop concentrating on the spell to try and catch you.)
Plus, at higher levels when tons of things have True Seeing then your identity might get discovered very easily.
True seeing doesn't foil mundane disguise, so as long as you're not running around with your face shown a la Superman, there's nothing that says true seeing is going to harm a kitsune vigilante any more than a human one.
Perhaps there should be some sort of additional social guise ability added in to support shapeshifter vigilantes so that their forms are protected from true seeing and detect magic? The current rules text doesn't help much with this. Heck, such an ability could help vigilantes who use hats of disguise and illusions to hide their armor as well.
Unneeded. Mundane disguises are more than enough to foil true seeing, and detect magic doesn't reveal the nature of the spell cast upon you beyond its school and the strength of the aura (which is purposefully vague).