I've been trying to theorycraft a Fey Zealot for possible PFS play, but I'm coming up totally short on how to make it viable in combat. The problem I'm running into is that it's a 3/4 BAB class with almost no bonus feats or other class features to boost accuracy or damage. And the druid/ranger spell list has almost nothing in terms of accuracy or damage buffs.
That is, except for natural weapons, but then the Fey Zealot has no way of gaining natural attacks (although the Abyssal Zealot does).
I think that to make the Fey Zealot combat-viable, in addition to the druid/ranger spell list, the it should pick up some key cleric buffs, such as divine favor/power as a pseudo-domain spell list, just like the other Zealot specializations, or have a way to gain natural attacks to put the druid/ranger spell list to good use.
Or is there something I'm missing?
Smite?
Smite helps some, but it's only a few times per day at most, and only against certain targets. What do you do the rest of the time?
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Move in (at half speed to stealth) while invisible, then attack the foe's Flat Footed AC. Wait until it is your turn again, then repeat (if they can't see you they can't AoO you, so you can just circle.)
Adding in a selection of Natural Weapon attacks won't help with this because you are only getting one attack a turn. Getting sneak attack and other ways to capitalize on your foe's flat footed status will.
Needs more to hit than he needs damage.
Shillelagh works as a pseudo Magic Weapon, and Quarterstaff Master is a thing, but that's not exactly unique to the Zealot.
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I've been running with a Fey Zealot for a couple of games so far. The plan is to use the archery tree with a composite longbow. I'm trying point blank and rapid shot and going precise at 3rd, which doesn't help the accuracy but OH WELL.
At level one, your accuracy is low, but you do get access to Gravity Bow at first level, which is nice. Vanishing Step isn't terribly great at 1st but can help a little bit with catching an opponent flat-footed, which... really should do more but at first level it drops the AC by a couple points. If I'd need to fire through an ally at -8, I'd rather use intimidate and try to debuff the poor fool. I went with social grace (Diplomacy) so in the social guise the character can diplomacize with the best of them, but that doesn't help combat at all, and it's still a little sub-par. We're pretty good at Stealth, but we can't see in the dark because we needed to play a human to get enough feats to function, so Stealth doesn't work very well except in conjunction with Vanishing Step.
At second level, smite comes into play, which doesn't solve the accuracy problem most of the time but will help some against the BBEG. Vanishing step now lasts for two rounds which is a significant improvement, but still not very long. It's pretty bursty--catch some people flat-footed, maybe smite someone if you're lucky, and then sort of hang out using your standard feat selection and hope something hits. We can still Gravity Bow twice a day (assuming a bonus spell per day from Charisma) but not getting the extra spell per day really, really hurts.
At third level, precise shot comes online so all we're really missing from the key early-level archery feats is Deadly Aim, but we're still having trouble with accuracy so it's not as bad of a loss as it could (and perhaps should) be. Vanishing step lasts longer giving us a better opportunity to catch opponents by surprise, which still doesn't achieve as much as it should for a vigilante but targeting flatfoot AC helps and we can't afford to ignore an accuracy bonus. Still just two spells per day, and that sucks. Renown comes online, so in the exceedingly unlikely event that we can spend a week of time setting up AND we adventure within three miles of the community of 200 people we chose, we get a +4 bonus to intimidate. And.... not much else, honestly. Third level is really the worst in terms of comparisons to other classes. We've got smite evil and occasional invisibility and two-per-day gravity bow, but the Hunter class seriously outperforms us with a similar spell list, and the hunter isn't exactly the most powerful class ever. Don't bother comparing against a barbarian, or even a fighter.
At fourth level, finally things are good! We use a talent on spellcasting, which stops sucking quite so hard--at least for a level. We get an extra use of Smite per day. We also get... well, we don't actually get anything else, outside of a +1 bump to a stat, which I'm going to throw at Charisma to get that to 16 and a +3 bonus, which helps with smite accuracy. But that's not from the class. Much like a hunter (at least the builds I've seen) defense is probably starting to be an issue, so this might be time for Barkskin. If you want to go offensive, Burst of Radiance might be the thing to do, and hope you can blind someone with it--but at 2 spells per day, you're not going to be spamming anything.
At fifth level, I'm looking at deadly aim, safe house, and an extra social grace (probably Sense Motive) but depending on how his accuracy problems work out deadly aim might not be a great option. Maybe Weapon Focus is the better choice, and that would get us to Dazzling Display, at 7th which gets us something useful to do with our intimidate skill...
This is about as far as I've gotten. It's... a workable framework, in the same way that core rogue or monk is a "workable framework," and there are a few nice things you can do with it (like gravity bow at level 1). Between gravity bow and smite you're not lacking damage if you can hit but accuracy is going to be an ongoing challenge. The spellcasting won't offset it even with full 6-level spellcasting, but it would provide some alternate options for the class. As it stands, the ranged spellcasting is basically twice-per-day gravity bow that prevents you from investing in 20 dex during character creation. Charisma's not a complete loss with this build because I decided to invest in social skills, but it would be nice to be able to make an effective zealot with, say, 14 charisma--instead, you're trapped with a heavy Charisma investiment primarily because of accuracy concerns (smite) and secondarily because of spellcasting (because that seems to be the most useful thing the class provides).
Do you not like to use Lead Blades?
Sure, but it doesn't scale and doesn't boost accuracy.
Move in (at half speed to stealth) while invisible, then attack the foe's Flat Footed AC. Wait until it is your turn again, then repeat (if they can't see you they can't AoO you, so you can just circle.)
Adding in a selection of Natural Weapon attacks won't help with this because you are only getting one attack a turn. Getting sneak attack and other ways to capitalize on your foe's flat footed status will.
OK, that's great for the opening attack. But once I'm visible and in melee range, I often can't safely use a move action, and eventually I'd like to take full-attacks as well. Plus, it's only a few times per day; I plan on making more than just 5 or 6 attacks in a day.
I've been running with a Fey Zealot for a couple of games so far...
That sounds about like I expected it play out, although you should really be using a wand for gravity bow, and save your spell slots for something else.
I've been running with a Fey Zealot for a couple of games so far. The plan is to use the archery tree with a composite longbow. I'm trying point blank and rapid shot and going precise at 3rd, which doesn't help the accuracy but OH WELL.
At level one, your accuracy is low, but you do get access to Gravity Bow at first level, which is nice. Vanishing Step isn't terribly great at 1st but can help a little bit with catching an opponent flat-footed, which... really should do more but at first level it drops the AC by a couple points. If I'd need to fire through an ally at -8, I'd rather use intimidate and try to debuff the poor fool. I went with social grace (Diplomacy) so in the social guise the character can diplomacize with the best of them, but that doesn't help combat at all, and it's still a little sub-par. We're pretty good at Stealth, but we can't see in the dark because we needed to play a human to get enough feats to function, so Stealth doesn't work very well except in conjunction with Vanishing Step.
At second level, smite comes into play, which doesn't solve the accuracy problem most of the time but will help some against the BBEG. Vanishing step now lasts for two rounds which is a significant improvement, but still not very long. It's pretty bursty--catch some people flat-footed, maybe smite someone if you're lucky, and then sort of hang out using your standard feat selection and hope something hits. We can still Gravity Bow twice a day (assuming a bonus spell per day from Charisma) but not getting the extra spell per day really, really hurts.
At third level, precise shot comes online so all we're really missing from the key early-level archery feats is Deadly Aim, but we're still having trouble with accuracy so it's not as bad of a loss as it could (and perhaps should) be. Vanishing step lasts longer giving us a better opportunity to catch opponents by surprise, which still doesn't achieve as much as it should for a vigilante but targeting flatfoot AC helps and we can't afford to ignore an...
Aspect of the Falcon can help with archery.
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I've been running with a Fey Zealot for a couple of games so far...That sounds about like I expected it play out, although you should really be using a wand for gravity bow, and save your spell slots for something else.
There are certainly better options. For my playtest build, he ended up running through Emerald Spire Part 1 at first level, so he didn't get any wands at 1st and is going to be a bit short on prestige for free wands. I felt like gravity bow was enough of a difference maker to be worth it in a no-wands environment, it remained thematic, and the alternatives weren't good enough to sell me. I have to admit, I also went with CLW--which is also a suboptimal selection but DID end up preventing a TPK, so it worked out in the end even if it shouldn't have. Resist elements is fantastic and got added to the spell list at second level.
You could certainly go Entangle or Summon Nature's Ally I or whatever, instead. Be the Stirgemaster!
Aspect of the Falcon is nice and wouldn't be a bad choice on a wand or for a level 1 pre-rebuild. Bracers of Falcon's Aim are better than Lesser Bracers of Archery, though (and provide the same type of bonus, so they don't stack) so it's not something I think you'd want to have a long-term investment in.
Ideally the class should be strong enough to function even given slightly suboptimal choices like the ones I made. I'm not sure it does even with a perfectly optimal build.
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Aspect of the Falcon is nice and wouldn't be a bad choice on a wand or for a level 1 pre-rebuild. Bracers of Falcon's Aim are better than Lesser Bracers of Archery, though (and provide the same type of bonus, so they don't stack) so it's not something I think you'd want to have a long-term investment in.
They are, but bracers of Falcon's Aim are the most commonly banned items in the game. They are far too good at the price they were published at.
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They are, but bracers of Falcon's Aim are the most commonly banned items in the game. They are far too good at the price they were published at.
Aspect of the Falcon is nice and wouldn't be a bad choice on a wand or for a level 1 pre-rebuild. Bracers of Falcon's Aim are better than Lesser Bracers of Archery, though (and provide the same type of bonus, so they don't stack) so it's not something I think you'd want to have a long-term investment in.
Oh, hey! Never having had an archer get to the point where they could use them, I'd never checked PFS legality. Guess you learn something new every day.
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Do you not like to use Lead Blades?Sure, but it doesn't scale and doesn't boost accuracy.
Move in (at half speed to stealth) while invisible, then attack the foe's Flat Footed AC. Wait until it is your turn again, then repeat (if they can't see you they can't AoO you, so you can just circle.)
Adding in a selection of Natural Weapon attacks won't help with this because you are only getting one attack a turn. Getting sneak attack and other ways to capitalize on your foe's flat footed status will.
OK, that's great for the opening attack. But once I'm visible and in melee range, I often can't safely use a move action, and eventually I'd like to take full-attacks as well. Plus, it's only a few times per day; I plan on making more than just 5 or 6 attacks in a day.
Unless they beat your +20 stealth check, you should be able to move safely in melee with no problems. An unaware foe does not get to make AoOs.
The 5-6 uses per day is a problem, but honestly in most PFS scenarios you don't get many more rounds of combat than that.
Shot On The Run or Spring Attack can help with this as well. It is basically Hide In Plain Sight as long as you keep moving.
Unless they beat your +20 stealth check, you should be able to move safely in melee with no problems. An unaware foe does not get to make AoOs.Do you not like to use Lead Blades?Sure, but it doesn't scale and doesn't boost accuracy.
Move in (at half speed to stealth) while invisible, then attack the foe's Flat Footed AC. Wait until it is your turn again, then repeat (if they can't see you they can't AoO you, so you can just circle.)
Adding in a selection of Natural Weapon attacks won't help with this because you are only getting one attack a turn. Getting sneak attack and other ways to capitalize on your foe's flat footed status will.
OK, that's great for the opening attack. But once I'm visible and in melee range, I often can't safely use a move action, and eventually I'd like to take full-attacks as well. Plus, it's only a few times per day; I plan on making more than just 5 or 6 attacks in a day.
I'm talking about after I break invisibility with my attack. Next round I can't move away to activate invisibility without risking an AoO, and my attack bonus sucks.
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You could withdraw and re-vanish if you wanted to without provoking an AoO, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it.
I'm talking about after I break invisibility with my attack. Next round I can't move away to activate invisibility without risking an AoO, and my attack bonus sucks.
It really seems much better-suited for a ranged specialist. Unless you feel like going down the Mobility path...
You could withdraw and re-vanish if you wanted to without provoking an AoO, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it.
I'm talking about after I break invisibility with my attack. Next round I can't move away to activate invisibility without risking an AoO, and my attack bonus sucks.
You can't vanish on a withdraw (or charge, for that matter). It only works for move actions.
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You can't vanish on a withdraw (or charge, for that matter). It only works for move actions.You could withdraw and re-vanish if you wanted to without provoking an AoO, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it.
I'm talking about after I break invisibility with my attack. Next round I can't move away to activate invisibility without risking an AoO, and my attack bonus sucks.
Ah, missed the move action part. You could Acrobatics to avoid the AoO, or take Mobility, but Stalker is better suited to those tactics than Zealot.
Yeah, you can do Acrobatics, but with lead blades as the only melee damage buff, the class is pushed toward the big weapon/heavy armor/low Dex niche, which makes Acrobatics a poor choice to rely on.
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At first glance, I'd make use dervish dance Fey Zealot. The +2 Attack for attacking from invisibility is nice, and smiting is nice. Carry a fun wand from your list in your off hand and skirmish about.
After seeing your concerns, especially with not being able to go invisible after likely provoking for moving, why not go with a reach weapon and armor spikes?
I toyed a bit with the idea of using an improvised weapon to take advantage of the Secret Weapon trait for +2 to attack rolls (a Chelish cellist by day, who uses his instrument as in improvised greatclub by night?), but without support like greater magic weapon and Arcane Strike, I just didn't see a way to keep it viable at higher levels when you need a magic weapon.
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You could worship Zon-Kuthon, take cruelty, and rely on intimidate or belier's bite unarmed strikes to give yourself a +2 to hit and damage after hitting. Of course, it only applies to things that are not immune to bleed or fear effects, but it's more forgiving.
Or Worship Pharasma for a straight +2 to hit with daggers, stacks with river rat. It also supports a finesse build.
You could worship Zon-Kuthon, take cruelty, and rely on intimidate or belier's bite unarmed strikes to give yourself a +2 to hit and damage after hitting. Of course, it only applies to things that are not immune to bleed or fear effects, but it's more forgiving.
Or Worship Pharasma for a straight +2 to hit with daggers, stacks with river rat. It also supports a finesse build.
Interesting idea, but fighting with daggers doesn't promise much damage when not smiting. I'm having trouble coming up with a combat style that's better off single-classed Vigilante than multiclassed into something else after one level.
So what i am getting from this is that either the zealot needs more smites or something else to help boost accuracy... nice another mando talent lol
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I still think the answer is some sort of overarching ability in the base class framework, not in the specializations. Right now the class has dual identity as a theme and... that's sort of it. You're a guy (or girl, or other) who can be... someone else. But only one other person unless you spend a bunch of your social talents on changing that. Yippee!
Fixing the problem for one of the specializations doesn't fix it for the others, and with the possible exception of the Avenger (which can hit but doesn't seem to be able to survive on the front lines), they all have the accuracy issue. And thematically, the specializations are all over the place--the base class abilities synergize best with the Stalker right now, so much so that it really looks like the stalker talent list should be part of the base class and available to all specializations. Merging Stalker in with the base class probably won't happen, but this class still doesn't enable any unifying themes or strategies worth mentioning.
On the bright side, it's still a decent NPC class. As a GM I don't have to spend months or years leveling my BBEG up past 11, right?
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On the bright side, it's still a decent NPC class. As a GM I don't have to spend months or years leveling my BBEG up past 11, right?
So long as you don't mind your CR=APL+6 vigilante caster BBEG getting their face stomped on by the PCs when a CR=APL+4 full caster would have wiped the party and a CR=APL+4 Inquisitor or Magus could have threatened multiple PC deaths.
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So long as you don't mind your CR=APL+6 vigilante caster BBEG getting their face stomped on by the PCs when a CR=APL+4 full caster would have wiped the party and a CR=APL+4 Inquisitor or Magus could have threatened multiple PC deaths....
On the bright side, it's still a decent NPC class. As a GM I don't have to spend months or years leveling my BBEG up past 11, right?
The action economy for a single villain rarely makes a 1 v. many fight work out anyway. And with an NPC, who cares what level they are? If it needs to be APL+10, just make it APL+10. It actually might be better off that way, if you give the Vigilante Toughness and a decent Con score they could have a ton of HP yet still have reasonable offensive capabilities for a party a bunch of levels levels lower than the vigilante is... maybe combat would last longer than 2 rounds that way. Hmmm.
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So long as you don't mind your CR=APL+6 vigilante caster BBEG getting their face stomped on by the PCs when a CR=APL+4 full caster would have wiped the party and a CR=APL+4 Inquisitor or Magus could have threatened multiple PC deaths....
On the bright side, it's still a decent NPC class. As a GM I don't have to spend months or years leveling my BBEG up past 11, right?
Actually, I've found the class to be great at creating BBEG's and mooks that can be effective at mid to high level. The disguise can be great to drive some plot points and get around divination issues, and you can build abilities that can do some damage to parties. BBEG's get to blow their spells and abilities for one encounter. They don't have to ration like PC's.
Did anyone say Shillelagh?
Did anyone say Shillelagh?
Shillelagh is good, but too hard to spell.
Also, why not just use a greatsword? Same damage die, and you don't have to spend a round casting to use it. Either way, you're left with a 3/4 BAB class with a 2d6 weapon and no accuracy boosters.
Fixing the problem for one of the specializations doesn't fix it for the others, and with the possible exception of the Avenger (which can hit but doesn't seem to be able to survive on the front lines), they all have the accuracy issue.
Actually, the all of the other specializations except for Stalker do have their own accuracy boosters: the other Zealots get inquisitor buffing spells, the Avenger gets full BAB and a selection of bonus feats, and the Warlock gets touch attacks and arcane buffing spells. The stalker doesn't really get any, but he has a baked-in source of damage, so he can focus feats and stats on his attack bonus instead.
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I actually put GM-Credit from play-tests into a Kitsune Fey Zealot (the Fox being the vigilante). I know i'm shooting myself in the foot without the extra feat, but what can you do when the stat array looks that good? (Not to mention that I'm a sucker for thematics, and Realistic Likeness makes anything more than "Many Guises" moot.)
Basic idea: Ranged attacks, composite longbow. Buff spells like Gravity Bow, Aspect of the Falcon, and Cat's Grace (and Abundant Ammunition for when creatures with hardness/material DR show up) level at caster level to (hopefully) last entire combats and change, as opposed to wands, which are liable to fizzle out 7 rounds in, if you time them all PERFECTLY with the rogue/investigator/stalker picking the lock to the BBEG liar. And if the BBEG is a wizard specializing in control and area denial and facing you in favorable terrain, forget it! (By Way of Bloodcove or The Golemworks Incident, anyone?)
Here's were it gets fun: Kill an Evil creature with Smite on your arrow. Next round: Arrow Eruption. Smite is on ALL of those arrows. Just don't roll crap.
Level 5: Vanishing Step makes Startling Appearance much more worthwhile, targeting FlatFoot on a semi-regular basis. I wonder if Arrow Eruption can benefit from that if I'm invisible at the time of casting...
Level 9: Point-Blank, Precise, Rapid, Manyshot. I feel that I can afford to skip Deadly Aim, since 3/4 BAB doesn't get quite the bang for you buck that a Full BAB would get. By now I'd probably toy with those attractive-looking "X Entanglement" spells from ACG... if not more buffing spells. (I assume Thorny Entanglement uses your ChaMod for its attacks. 2d6 to anyone within 15' of a 40' radius on top of entanglement/difficult terrain? hahahaha... probably not the "best" for your allies.)
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Why go toe to toe? I see them as more of the harasser type. They would less likely be in the city but might patrol the roads, hunting down bandits. Use the terrain to your advantage. Since their power source is fey, start off with Entangle. If you have some thieves/stealthy types that you are fighting, Faerie Fire since it has no save.
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I used a halberd, and took combat reflexes. Vanishing step let me set up in advantageous positions to AoO casters trying to cast and thinking they were safe, or disrupt enemy tactics as they started taking AoO's when they thought they had time to maneuver. As far as level 1 vigilantes go, I had more success with this than I'd seen any level 1 vigilante have.
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I used a halberd, and took combat reflexes. Vanishing step let me set up in advantageous positions to AoO casters trying to cast and thinking they were safe, or disrupt enemy tactics as they started taking AoO's when they thought they had time to maneuver. As far as level 1 vigilantes go, I had more success with this than I'd seen any level 1 vigilante have.
Were you at my table for the Snows of Summer last Sunday? As I recall, reach+combat reflexes builds were the order of the day that weekend; first a stalker with a bardiche and then a fey zealot with a halberd. None of the mooks could touch them before being cut down, but I guess the same would be true of any class with that combo. (Ninja with a Kusarigama or double kama, perhaps)
Come to think of it, two levels of Ninja would be great for a Stalker. Ki Pool off of Charisma gives you an easy way to Vanish a few times per day and get all of your startling appearance attacks with d8s and a d6. And if you're a Fey Zealot, it just adds to your swift-action vanish pool, at the cost of your BAB, spell-casting, other talents (Smite)... YMMV
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I used a halberd, and took combat reflexes. Vanishing step let me set up in advantageous positions to AoO casters trying to cast and thinking they were safe, or disrupt enemy tactics as they started taking AoO's when they thought they had time to maneuver. As far as level 1 vigilantes go, I had more success with this than I'd seen any level 1 vigilante have.Were you at my table for the Snows of Summer last Sunday? As I recall, reach+combat reflexes builds were the order of the day that weekend; first a stalker with a bardiche and then a fey zealot with a halberd. None of the mooks could touch them before being cut down, but I guess the same would be true of any class with that combo. (Ninja with a Kusarigama or double kama, perhaps)
That's a good idea. For what it's worth, watch out--Pathfinder halberds aren't reach weapons.
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That's a good idea. For what it's worth, watch out--Pathfinder halberds aren't reach weapons.I used a halberd, and took combat reflexes. Vanishing step let me set up in advantageous positions to AoO casters trying to cast and thinking they were safe, or disrupt enemy tactics as they started taking AoO's when they thought they had time to maneuver. As far as level 1 vigilantes go, I had more success with this than I'd seen any level 1 vigilante have.Were you at my table for the Snows of Summer last Sunday? As I recall, reach+combat reflexes builds were the order of the day that weekend; first a stalker with a bardiche and then a fey zealot with a halberd. None of the mooks could touch them before being cut down, but I guess the same would be true of any class with that combo. (Ninja with a Kusarigama or double kama, perhaps)
it would appear that either I was duped or he mistook it for a horsechopper or another bardiche. (They're all the same in every other respect, and brace/trip/crits never came into play, so I'm not going to track him down and report an infraction)
Or a Glaive... or a Glaive-Guisarme... there are a lot of d10 reach weapons.
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Were you at my table for the Snows of Summer last Sunday? As I recall, reach+combat reflexes builds were the order of the day that weekend; first a stalker with a bardiche and then a fey zealot with a halberd. None of the mooks could touch them before being cut down, but I guess the same would be true of any class with that combo. (Ninja with a Kusarigama or double kama, perhaps)
That was me.
That one fight (involving a necromancer, some zombies, and some thugs) was complex enough that I really think it was good for data collection.
1) The all vigilante party was at least somewhat competent (for 1st and 2nd level characters) at scouting out the area before the fight, allowing for some level of tactics.
2) We had a good mix of skills with two warlocks (one able to throw bombs!), a couple stalkers (one in your face with leave an opening, and one using reach), a fey zealot (using reach + vanish to get AoO positioning), and an Avenger let us really see how the classes operated pretty well. Nobody took over the fight, but I felt like all of the characters were able to contribute to the fight, and as a team we were able to bring down the foes. Having played that fight several times previously with non-vigilante parties, I'd say this party was the best setting up pre-fight (due to everyone having skills to scout), but it was probably a below average party when it came to actually fighting it out, despite having several level 2 characters in the group. (I think every other time I've seen this fight it was all level 1's.)
I included a couple characters and notes from this game in my final report on the playtest.
(BTW one of the mooks did get to hit me. Although I got attacks off with AoO's a lot, only rolling 4 damage on each of them didn't help my cause. My 20AC is what kept me alive more than the halberd. I was doing a stalling tactic to split the enemy's attention and hopefully let the rest of the party take down other threats.)
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it would appear that either I was duped or he mistook it for a horsechopper or another bardiche. (They're all the same in every other respect, and brace/trip/crits never came into play, so I'm not going to track him down and report an infraction)
Or a Glaive... or a Glaive-Guisarme... there are a lot of d10 reach weapons.
My bad. Glaive is actually what I had on the character sheet. I'm usually a finesse guy...can't keep all these pole arms straight. I actually think it's the first pole arm user I've ever had in PFS...out of 18 characters.
Side Note: I find myself wishing for 3 fighter levels with the Phalanx archtype for this character. That would be a no brainer if I was an avenger. Harder choice on a zealot for how to build this out.
Not to derail the thread, but this comic came to mind.
Monty Python-esque sketches aside, this is something I'd thought about as well. The Zealot with Fey Step is pretty cool, though it doesn't really have much that can do with it other than hit someone flatfooted. It's a pretty enticing one level dip for other classes that care about flatfooted, though.
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I could have seen variations on what I did. I decided vanish + combat reflexes would be a fun way to set up AoO's either on unsuspecting casters, or on people who thought they were moving save. If I went with something like trip, I could have been even more disruptive in some ways.
You are correct that the Fey Zealot is an amazing dip right now. First level spell, martial + medium armor, 6 skills, and vanishing step. Might have to be the next dip for my dip happy ranger/rogue/brawler.
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I could have seen variations on what I did. I decided vanish + combat reflexes would be a fun way to set up AoO's either on unsuspecting casters, or on people who thought they were moving save. If I went with something like trip, I could have been even more disruptive in some ways.
You are correct that the Fey Zealot is an amazing dip right now. First level spell, martial + medium armor, 6 skills, and vanishing step. Might have to be the next dip for my dip happy ranger/rogue/brawler.
It'd only be for one round, though. I don't know how "worth it" that would be... Granted: Magical Knack and some nice utility spells or Produce Flame may come in handy, but apart from that? I'm not seeing it. However, 2 Levels and Smite Evil? Without an alignment restriction? Definitely.
I wonder how well this specialization would perform with a 1-level dip in Mysterious Stranger... I imagine any Zealot would benefit (as would any Vigilante period), Adding Charisma to attack with Smite and Charisma to damage with Focused Aim. (and targeting FlatFoot&Touch AC as a fey zealot? Aces, Charles.)
I know I'm caught on this spell, but does Arrow Eruption even work for firearms? The text of the spell says "Arrow or Crossbow Bolt," but the spell was written before Gunslingers were even a thing. I have not found the answer via Google FU, but I'm guessing "no," which is a shame... for me, not the meta. I don't think that the meta can handle up to 15 Firearm Bullets exploding out, targeting touch AC to everything in range, with Smite, Focused Aim, and any other buffs on them. That would be insane. On my current statblock (adding a level of the Gunslinger archetype), I think that would be:
Dex, BAB, and +1 weapon: +9
PBS: +1
Smite: +3
Cat's Grace / Aspect of the Falcon: +3
TOTAL: +16 v. Touch to Five targets (Magical Knack)
+1 Weapon: +1
PBS: +1
Smite (evil outsider/undead/etc): +8
Focused Aim: +3
DAMAGE: 1d8+13 (to each of the five)
So, we're basically looking at an autohit... that'd be enough to clear the field of Mooks at that level, or at least soften them up enough for a gentle breeze to knock them down. And I haven't even minmaxed (Kitsune: 10 18 13 12 10 15->16 @ lvl 4)! If I dumped Wis and Int into the ocean, I could probably squeeze another +1 or +2 in there.
HOWEVER: It's VERY bursty, since you're using BOTH of your 2nd-level spells. This is best saved for the BBEG, or if you're on a long journey (encounters over multiple days).
(Focused Aim would carry for the Eruption because, even though its temporary, it is an (Ex) class feature that was applied to that attack, not a spell or spell-like ability.)
But I'm getting WAY off track. TLDR: dipping a level of Mysterious Stranger could work wonderfully for a Fey Zealot.