Hey gang, so it's been a LONG time time since I've played the ol' pathfinder. But I'm starting it again and I've decided I want to play a critical hit fighter (very original I'm sure) I want her to use the scythe to really hit hard with the crits, but I also need to know how big I can make the threat range.
How would you guys build her? What feats would you take?
The only way to increase crit range is keen or improved crit feat. The scythe becomes a 19-20x4 with either of those options.
The "Best" weapon to use with crits is the Falcata, it has a 19-20x3 base and when you improve it it becomes 17-20x3 biggest range for highest multiplier.
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Just get a friend with twf kukri & Butterfly Sting.
Really - a Scythe isn't a very good weapon. Often even x2 is enough to kill something - x4 on a two-handed weapon is usually overkill. You'd probably be better off with a nodachi for 18-20 - and at higher levels you can get all of the crit effect feats.
If you're playing Fighter, be a Human, and pick up Critical Versatility when you qualify for it.
Falcata is amazing, though if you are a Bolt Ace gunslinger with Bracers of Falcon's Aim, you can stack up to 17-20/x4. The bracers increase crit multiplier to x3, which is increased to x4 by Bolt Ace. Threat range can be doubled from 19-20 to 17-20 using Improved Critical. If you're playing to level 15, consider the Bloodrager with the Destined bloodline- it picks up auto-crit at level 15. Slayer can TWF well (Can pick up Ranger combat style) and has all martial weapons, which means you can get a bit crazy with your attacks. Samurai can add level to damage that multiplies on a crit, starts with some of the best 1-handed weapons (Wakizashi), and can get Fighter feats for them. There's also an exotic weapon somewhere that is a two-hand 1d10 17-20/x2 crit (After keen/improved critical), you might consider that.
Or be half elf or half orc. They can pick up human feats, and they have their own interesting stuff.
Half orcs can get a rather nice boost to saves with an alt racial feature (the tattoo one), and you can improve that with fate's favored. That combined gives you a +2 luck bonus to all saves.
Half elves can specialize in will saves their their features and alt features though (dual minded for all will saves, elven immunity for the 'kill your friends' will saves; both give a stacking +2). With a little effort, you can make even caster clerics jealous until higher levels. It stacks a little better with bonuses from things like luck stones. Your good save is fort, so this only leaves reflex a bit unattended (and elts be honest- typically, will saves are much, much more threatening).
Anyway, critical versatility is probably the way to go, since it lets you switch up the feat with a small bit of time. That way, you won't be caught with your pants down if you have blinding critical and face the bat people, or if you have bleeding critical and face some elementals. You can grab some more of the condition critical feats later, so you have more options at once... but critical versatility is generally the best one since it can be any of them.
Hey gang, so it's been a LONG time time since I've played the ol' pathfinder. But I'm starting it again and I've decided I want to play a critical hit fighter (very original I'm sure) I want her to use the scythe to really hit hard with the crits, but I also need to know how big I can make the threat range.
How would you guys build her? What feats would you take?
Scythes are decent damage dice, have the option to specialize in Trip, and deal X4 damage on a critical. While I understand that Scythes are a powerful weapon when they critical, if you want to specialize in Critical Hits, you need a weapon that can critical more often, as most things are running around with average HP, and an optimized damage dealer can one-round difficult enemies. I personally wouldn't recommend the Scythe for crit-fishing unless you are a Melee-Oriented Druid, or you're wanting to specialize in Trip, or use it for flavor.
As others have suggested, the Falcata has the best overall critical multiplier, since it's a 19-20/X3, doubling up to a 17-20/X4 by the endgame. You could spend a proficiency feat for it (or become a race who gets proficiency with it), get it Large-sized, and apply an Effortless Lace to it to not suffer inappropriate size penalties.
Although it's an extremely powerful multiplier, you will have to spend feats and gold to even use it properly, and if you don't want to do that, I'd suggest something lesser. As for me, I generally prefer the 18-20/X2 weapons, primarily because they are the most likely to critical (and if you're going for a Critical Hit build, getting the most possible criticals will be your best bet).
So, there are two weapons that fit that bill currently (3, technically): The Falchion, and the Nodachi. (There's also the Katana, but you run into the same problems as you would with the Falcata, and plus the Nodachi is essentially the same thing, except two-handed only). Although the Nodachi is an Eastern Weapon, it's the best you can get, as it counts as two damage types, has the Brace property, and has an overall better scaling damage dice (1D10 > 2D4).
As others suggested, Human is a great choice, and is doubly helpful if you decide to use a weapon that needs a proficiency feat. Half-Elf is also just as applicable, but you will be losing out on a much more powerful racial trait if you use it for the proficiency feat. Critical Versatility will also be extremely powerful for you, since it allows you to interchange critical feats if you can anticipate what you will be fighting. (Half-Orcs, Half-Elves, and Scion of Humanity-Aasimars do qualify for this feat, so don't be afraid to deviate from the Human race if you want it.)
So, here's a basic feat breakdown I recommend, assuming you take Human.
* = Bonus Feat:
1. Power Attack*, Weapon Focus [Weapon of Choice]*, Iron Will
2. Cleave* (Retrained to Weapon Specialization at 4th via class feature)
3. Improved Iron Will
4. [Retrained Cleave], Combat Reflexes
5. Strong Comeback
6. Improved Initiative*
7. Toughness
8. Improved Critical [Weapon of Choice]*
9. Critical Focus
10. Greater Weapon Focus [Weapon of Choice]*
11. Critical Versatility
12. Sickening Critical*
13. Staggering Critical
14. Critical Mastery*
15. Tiring Critical
16-20. Any
Since you don't really need that many certain feats, you can definitely substitute some of the more useless ones (Strong Comeback, Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, or similar) for a Weapon Proficiency feat if you want to go down that path, nor is it 100% required to go Human.
If you have any further questions, feel free to send me a PM here on the forums, or consult this Two-Handed Fighter guide I've made.
I've also made a 100% Endgame Two-Handed Crit-Fisher, if you would like to compare what he took in comparison to yours, as well as what you can expect when you reach the peak of your power. It is 100% by-the-book legal (though looking back, I need to substitute a few things since errata made certain options useless).
This is all fantastic, thank you so much guys! I'll dive into those guides and start doing some research as soon as I get home as well!!
Don't really play fighters, so this is a fun diversion from my norm.