A ranger can take Shatter Defenses as a feat at level 6 from the Menacing Combat Style. He can select the feat without taking the prerequisite of Weapon Focus.
Shatter Defenses (Combat)Your skill with your chosen weapon leaves opponents unable to defend themselves if you strike them when their defenses are already compromised.
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus, Dazzling Display, base attack bonus +6, proficiency with weapon.
Benefit: Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent hit by you this round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round.
He can choose feats from his selected combat style, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites.
So, my big question here is, the flavor text of the feat makes it sound like it is only applicable to attacks that use the weapon that you have Weapon Focus in. Does only the benefit line apply? Can a ranger (or a slayer using the Ranger Combat Style talent) grab the feat and use it with any weapon?
The flavor text is just flavor. Anyone who has Shatter Defenses by any means can use it with any weapon against any foe who is shaken etc for any reason.
By contrast, Dazzling Display's benefit says "While wielding the weapon in which you have Weapon Focus, you can..." and therefore is limited that way.
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Normally Shatter Defenses is part of a chain including Dazzling Display, which normally requires you to be wielding a particular weapon, which is why the flavor text is there. The benefit section is where the actual meat of the ability is, and I don't see nothing in there about requiring you to use a particular weapon.
The bigger problem is whether a GM would allow you to use Dazzling Display without Weapon Focus. If this character is for PFS, then technically the answer is no, even though it is very obvious that the menacing style was intended to get around that requirement. The other example I can think of that gets Dazzling Display without requirements (the Order of the Cockatrice Cavalier) has specific text allowing it to use Dazzling Display with or without any weapon in hand.
If you have another good way to apply the shaken status, such as Enforcer, Cornugon Smash, or Bullying Blow, then I think you're good to go with Shatter Defenses.
Excellent. That's what I figured. Of course, now that I'm looking at other feats in the tree, Dazzling Display is one of them as is Gory Finish. Both specify, using a weapon you have Weapon Focus in, but allow you to take them without meeting the prerequisite. Do you have to pick up Weapon Focus on the side to make them functional?
EDIT: Character is not for PFS. I'm the GM making an NPC and curious about how the rule interactions work... RAW it looks like you would need Weapon Focus but I'm curious if they intended you be able to use them with any weapon.
Excellent. That's what I figured. Of course, now that I'm looking at other feats in the tree, Dazzling Display is one of them as is Gory Finish. Both specify, using a weapon you have Weapon Focus in, but allow you to take them without meeting the prerequisite. Do you have to pick up Weapon Focus on the side to make them functional?
Yes.
Excellent, thanks.
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If you're going by the book, then yeah, Gory Finish and Dazzling Display will require Weapon Focus to use. At least you don't have to take Combat Expertise for some reason. Weapon Focus is boring, but decent.
If you wanted to play by the rules as written, a two level dip into cavalier can get you Dazzling Display as a standard action and no requirement of Weapon Focus. The standard action Dazzling Display can be fun, because it would give your NPC a chance to move around before or after the Display. Of course, that means your ranger will probably want to use a horse for his bond so the levels stack, and you might have imagined him with a different animal companion.
The other feats I mentioned work well. I particularly like Cornugon Smash because it only requires you to be Power Attacking, which he'd probably be doing anyway.